Developers rapped for negligence

TANGERANG, West Java (JP): Tangerang Regent Saifulah AR has lamented the fact that so far, only a few of the developers operating in the regency have complied with the regulation to provide plots for public cemeteries.

At present, there are 235 developers building housing and shopping complexes in the regency. "But so far, only 10 of them have handed over plots for public cemeteries to the administration," Saifulah said on Saturday.

He stressed that each developer has to provide a plot for public cemeteries in connection with the housing complexes they are building.

"Every developer is required to hand over a plot for a public cemetery to the local administration, without having to wait for the completion of the housing complexes they are building. It's a must, and the developer cannot give money instead of the land," Saifulah said here on Tuesday.

He made it clear, however, that the developer is not obliged to provide all the land at once. "It can be handed over in phases."

The regent said the size of the plot for the cemetery is 5 percent of the total area of the land on which the housing complex is being constructed by a developer.

Citing an example, Saifulah said the developer of the Lippo Karawaci housing and shopping complex has to provide 30 hectares of land for a public cemetery, 5 percent of the total area of 600 hectares on which the complex will be located.

He said a developer who builds a housing complex on a plot that is less than 200 hectares could provide a plot for a cemetery in another nearby area.

The obligation of developers to provide land for a cemetery adjacent to every housing complex they build was regulated by the government in 1989. (28/bas/18)