Construction permit policy still hamstrung

Construction permit policy still hamstrung

JAKARTA (JP): A policy aimed at encouraging citizens to seek
construction permits for small homes is still hamstrung by a lack
of preparation both from officials and residents.

Permits from district offices for the construction of 200-
square-meter or smaller houses, had become compulsory on Sept. 1.

The permits now can be issued in nine days if the applicant
has all the necessary documents, compared to the earlier
processing period of 24 days.

Together with the application form, an applicant has to submit
a copies of his or her identity card, the land ownership
certificate and property tax receipts.

But in Matraman, East Jakarta, most applicants have yet to
request for their land ownership certificates from the City Land
Agency. Only one out of 10 applicants here have received house
construction permits.

During a visit to the area on Thursday, Deputy Governor for
City Development Budihardjo Soekmadi said officials from the City
Land Agency would be assigned to district offices starting
October.

To check on the implementation of the new policy, Budihardjo
also visited the district offices in Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta
and Mampang Prapatan in South Jakarta.

Albert Hutabarat of the Matraman district office said most of
the land that belonged to people during the colonial era, do not
have proper documentation on the transfer of ownership.

The complicated procedures to obtain a construction permit
previously, had led many people to build homes without permits,
officials say.

The permits are needed to ensure houses are built according to
guidelines based on the city plan. Frequently, the stipulated
minimum distance from the front wall of a house to the street is
violated.

Budiharjo also cited disputes involving properties being
demolished for road widening projects.

"Sometimes people don't know what the city plan is like and so
design their houses according to their own wishes," he said.

Officials are authorized to stop the construction or demolish
a structure which is found without the necessary building
permits.

A temporary permit is issued in certain cases, for instance,
if a house owner requests for a permit but the building's design
still requires modification in line with city planning and
technical guidelines.

However the policy is notorious for its non-enforcement. In
response to a case of a house in Mampang Prapatan that is being
constructed without displaying its permits, Budihardjo said any
official suspected of colluding with the house owner, "should be
reported to me."

Collusion is known to occur from the early stages of
construction, such as the bribing of officials in charge of
measurements.

Meanwhile, Kelapa Gading residents seemed to be more ready for
the policy. Residents here whose houses were constructed by
developers, had already obtained their land ownership documents
and drawing plans for their homes from the property management.
At least 12 applicants are having their requests for building
permits processed. (07)