City unveils plan to beautify its parks

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)