Councilor defends condo developer

JAKARTA (JP): The City Council says the developer of Sudirman Tower Condominium, PT Kredosindo Perkasa, in Central Jakarta, is not tearing down a school owned by the city.

"We are convinced that the developer is not demolishing city property, but a building owned by the Perguruan Rakyat foundation," M. Aman of the council's commission on government affairs, security and public order, told reporters after a meeting which he presided over on Thursday.

The meeting, also attended by members of another commission was held to collect information on the development of an apartment and other buildings at the site.

According to Aman there are four buildings at the site which are owned by the city: one subdistrict office, two youth centers and a school building.

"There is no problem concerning the subdistrict office and youth centers because the developer will relocate them into the apartment complex," Aman said. The municipal administration's school building will be relocated to a new site in Pondok Kelapa, East Jakarta.

The developer was originally alleged to have begun demolishing the municipal authorities' school building before the city administration had issued proper documents.

The demolition of a school at the site, which turned out to belong to the foundation, has caused about 400 elementary, junior and senior high school students to be moved to separate schools in the Srengseng, Kalibata and Karet areas.

"To date, the developer has only demolished a part of the building which was built and is owned by the foundation," Aman said.

He also said that the developer has met all the requirements regarding proper procedures and possession of legal documents. "It seems that the documents are stuck somewhere in the bureaucratic machinery," Aman added.

In July PT Kredosindo sent a letter to the Municipal Secretariat, asking for a permit to start the development at the school site, but no reply has been received from the office.

Earlier this week, the governor of Jakarta said that the concerned personnel at related municipal agencies may be intentionally hampering permit procedures.

Aman said that the City Council will hold a meeting with the city administration to settle this matter. (yns)