City to buy Timor building for council

City to buy Timor building for council

JAKARTA (JP): The city administration said on Friday it
planned to purchase the Timor building, located on Jl. Medan
Merdeka Timur in Central Jakarta, which would become the new home
of the City Council.

Currently, the council occupies a building on Jl. Kebon Sirih,
also in Central Jakarta.

City Secretary Fauzi Bowo said an assessment team set up by
the administration was still calculating the space and the price
of the Timor building, which is owned by former president
Soeharto's youngest son Hutomo Mandala Putra's Humpuss Group.

"I hope the team can complete their assessment soon, so we can
buy the building for the council's new home," Fauzi said.

He stated that councillors had complained that the City
Council building on Jl. Kebon Sirih was no longer adequate to
accommodate the 85 councillors.

Fauzi said the Timor building was chosen as the proposed new
home of the council because it was strategically located, facing
the National Monument (Monas) park.

"So the council will be equal as the City Hall also faces
Monas park," he said.

Fauzi said the Timor building, which has been sealed off by
the Ministry of Finance's Directorate General for Taxation, would
be sold in an auction because the Humpuss Group could not pay its
tax arrears.

He said the 17-story building was also sealed off by the
Central Jakarta Mayoralty last year, because it was being used
for private business activities, including as the Humpuss Group's
head office. This violated a presidential decree stipulating that
buildings in the area could only used for government activities.

"So if the building is sold at auction, private parties won't
be interested," he said.

Separately, City Council chairman Edy Waluyo acknowledged on
Friday the council had proposed the purchase of the Timor
building to replace its current four-story council building.

"You see, currently we work in very small rooms. I hope we can
get a new building within the next three months," he said.

The councillors also have complained about the location of
their present building, which is behind the city administration
building.

"The council is like the executive's kitchen," a councillor
once said.

In the new building, the 85 councillors could expect to have
their own offices, like the members of the House of
Representatives.

Currently, there is only one working room for each faction.
Each councillor has a desk and a chair, and they work together in
the one room.

The council earlier proposed a new building be purchased in
the Kemayoran area. In the proposal, they suggested the new
building be provided with facilities similar to those in the city
administration building, including a sauna and fitness center.

It is not clear if the council will have similar facilities if
they move to the Timor building. (jun)