City unveils plan to beautify its parks

JAKARTA (JP): The City Park Agency announced last Thursday an ambitious beautification project for 2000 fiscal year at a cost of Rp 11.9 billion (US$1.65 million).

In comparison, the city administration spent Rp 2.7 billion for the project in the current fiscal year, from April 1999 to March 2000.

Along with the project, the agency also asked private sectors to help sponsor a plan to erect statues of several national heroes on major streets which bear their names in Jakarta.

"Governor Sutiyoso has asked us to make proposals for the construction of the statues of (national heroes) Sudirman, M.H. Thamrin and Imam Bonjol," Syafril Zainuddin, the head of the agency, said.

"We will find sponsors for the construction without having to affect the city budget," he said.

Syafril said the relatives of Sudirman, the founder of the Indonesian Military (TNI), had agreed to finance the statue of him at their cost.

The funds to be spent on the beautification project will be mostly allocated for work on eight parks, he added.

"The project is partly focused on restoring parks which were vandalized in the May 1998 riots," Syafril said, adding that he hoped the results would lure more tourists to the capital.

A total of Rp 9.8 billion will be allocated for work on the National Monument (Monas) park in Central Jakarta, Rp 500 million for Lapangan Banteng square in Central Jakarta, Rp 100 million for Kota Railway Station park in West Jakarta, Rp 200 million for Taman Puring park in South Jakarta, Rp 200 million for Situ Lembang park, also in South Jakarta, Rp 600 million for a section of Jl. Sudirman, Rp 300 million for Jl. Sisingamangaraja and Rp 200 million for Jl. Imam Bonjol.

The agency, he said, would also resume its plan to provide enough space for pedestrians to walk along Jl. M.H. Thamrin as soon as the economy improved.

"The project needs some Rp 31 billion. We can't force building owners to do it now," he said. (05)