Gapensi should watch over city projects
Gapensi should watch over city projects
JAKARTA (JP): North Jakarta's deputy mayor, Sarimun
Hadisaputro, has proposed that the city's development projects be
supervised by the city chapter of the Indonesian Builders
Association (Gapensi).
"This is to ensure that the building materials used are of
good quality and that the project will not put the public at a
disadvantage," Sarimun said in his speech Saturday, when opening
the congress of the North Jakarta branch of the association.
He said if development projects were supervised by the
association it would prevent contractors who are not members of
the association from trying to harass officials in charge of the
projects.
Labeling such contractors as mere speculators, whose sole
objective is to rake in as much profit as possible without
thinking of the quality of their work, Sarimun said project
managers should be cautious when dealing with such people.
"When I was chairman of a project tender, a man claiming to be
a bona fide contractor came to my office and impolitely took off
his shirt insisting that he be given the right to handle the
project," he said.
Sarimun called on all the association's members to continue
improving their professionalism in the face of the upcoming free
trade era, Antara reported.
"One thing I need to underline here is that you all should
master the English language. Otherwise you will face difficulties
when dealing with foreign businesspeople," he said, citing the
impending influx of various foreign foods and fruits onto the
local market when global trade is liberalized.
The vice mayor also urged association members to not just
work on projects belonging to the city administrations. "You also
should be able to carry out projects being administered by
private companies, like the reclamation of the Ancol beach."
The two-kilometer wide and 27-kilometer long project
stretching from the Ancol beach to Marunda is earmarked for
tourism and business centers.
John Piter Nainggolan, an executive board member of the
association's Jakarta chapter, enthusiastically hailed the North
Jakarta vice mayor's "challenge" that members should take part in
the handling of the gigantic reclamation project.
"The challenge is quite interesting. For our part, we are
ready to talk the matter over with the contractors in charge of
the reclamation project," he said. (bas)