City seals resto in Menteng over permit

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The city administration has forced the management of The One restaurant in Menteng, Central Jakarta to temporarily close as it does not have the necessary operation permits from relevant agencies.

The lounge and karaoke restaurant management confirmed the closure.

"We are still trying to obtain the necessary permits," restaurant operation manager Evy Mayouri told The Jakarta Post.

"Hopefully, we can resume operations on Monday, but we cannot promise as it all depends city officials," Evy said.

Around 50 joint personnel from the City Public Order Agency, City Construction Supervision and Regulation Agency (P2B), City Tourism Agency and Central Jakarta municipal officials closed the Japanese restaurant on Wednesday afternoon, arguing that the management did not have a building permit.

Head of the tourism and entertainment business supervisory unit of the City Public Order Agency, Bresman Panjaitan, said that the hotel management had unlawfully converted a residence into a restaurant.

"The conversion of a residence into a commercial premise is against prevailing regulations. Besides, the management has failed to show business permits from relevant institutions, like the City Public Order Agency and City Tourism Agency," Bresman said.

Bresman referred to Bylaw No. 7/1991 on buildings in Jakarta. Any violation of the bylaw carries a maximum sentence up to three months in prison or a Rp 5 million fine with or without confiscation of equipment in use at the time of the violation.

Bresman said that the city administration had reprimanded the restaurant management several times but the latter refused to comply.

Jakarta Deputy Governor Fauzi Bowo then instructed the agency to immediately close the site, he said.

The management said earlier on Tuesday that the restaurant on Jl. H. Agus Salim No., which can accommodate up to 150 people, would hold its grand opening in the middle of this year.

A field inspection by the Jakarta Public Order Agency shows that more than 300 homes have been converted into business premises in Kebayoran Baru.

Besides Kebayoran Baru, the administration also aims to prioritize the regulation of houses in Pondok Indah, South Jakarta, and in Menteng, Central Jakarta, as residents there have complained about the business activities, including increased traffic congestion and noise.