Council delays road projects

Council delays road projects

Theresia Sufa, The Jakarta Post, Bogor

The Bogor Council has delayed approval for an extension of the
Cianteun ring road in Pamijahan district and the construction of
a bus terminal in Cileungsi.

The decision was made during a plenary session on Wednesday
after the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) faction questioned some
of the expenses in the administration's projects.

The Cianteun ring road project would cost the city Rp 15.7
billion (US$1.63 million) and the terminal project Rp 7.8
billion.

"We support both projects, which are needed by the public, but
the administration has yet to provide details of the plans. We
demand the Council speaker give officials more time to provide us
with explanations and financial analyses of both projects before
we make any decision," said councillor Fikri Hudi Oktiarwan, who
is also chairman of Council Commission C on financial affairs.

Four other factions in the council, the Golkar Party, the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the United
Development Party (PPP) and the Democratic Party, were prepared
to sign off on the projects.

However, after a 30 minute break all of the factions agreed to
delay the decision.

"All of Council members have agreed to hold off on approving
the projects until the extra material we have requested is
provided to us," Council Speaker Rahmat Yasin said.

Fikri said the administration only submitted documents on the
tender for the Cianteun project on Tuesday afternoon.

"We need an explanation of the Rp 1.6 billion that has been
budgeted for miscellaneous expenses and the Rp 2 billion to
cement nearly all of the bus terminal even though the blueprint
shows only two-thirds of the area will be cemented," he said.

The administration has introduced a number of vital projects
besides the ring road and bus terminal, such as the construction
of the Cileungsi and Leuwiliang hospitals, which will cost the
city Rp 41 billion each.