Gelora Senayan board under fire

Gelora Senayan board under fire

JAKARTA (JP): Members of a House of Representatives (DPR)
commission have urged the Gelora Senayan Management Board to
improve the supervision of state properties within Senayan in
Central Jakarta.

Amir Santoso of Commission II for domestic and foreign
political affairs said during a meeting with the board Tuesday
that most of the properties it was charged to secure were in
jeopardy.

"Since its establishment in 1984, the board hasn't succeeded
in securing the land. Most of the plots have been taken over by
private sectors," Amir said.

The commission deals with various institutions, including the
foreign and home affairs ministries, the National Land Agency
(BPN) and the State Secretariat, which supervises the board.

Every investor who uses the Gelora Senayan plot is obliged to
pay contributions based on individual agreements.

Among the buildings which stand on the plot are Century Park
Hotel, Hotel Mulia Senayan, Plaza Senayan, Taman Ria Senayan and
Senayan stadium complex.

City Councilor Lukman Harun also urged the board to complete
the processing of certificates for the plot which covers a
279.10-hectare area.

"This is important. Senayan is a symbol of this city. If it
falls into the wrong hands, the people will never get it back."

He reiterated the importance of transparency in the management
and funding of each parcel of land the board "leases" to private
parties.

"If Gelora Senayan doesn't get the necessary contributions...
it means that it exists only to be cheated. It's state
property .. it is meant for the people. Not for those who try to
make gains for their own benefit."

Amir Santoso said Hotel Mulia Senayan, for instance, was just
one example of the board's lack of control and supervision.

"In many cases people are put in a difficult position because
the building, which breaches the rules, has already been
developed.

"Therefore, I urge the Hotel Mulia Senayan developer to stop
the construction of its second tower and consider the
ramifications of construction and reach a better solution for the
sake of the people."

Amir said he realized that it was impossible to tear down or
completely stop the development of the hotel.

Hotel Mulia Senayan has been the center of controversy since
the project was launched on Nov. 1, 1996.

The "impossible" job of building the first tower -- comprising
of 40 stories -- within less than 10 months was achieved by
breaching rules such as height restriction and sacrificing
pedestrian sidewalks, the provision of sufficient green areas and
the impact of traffic congestion on the neighborhood.

The hotel's construction was funded by Jakarta Country Club
(JCC), which was given a contract by the board to build and
operate the hotel.

Amir Santoso questioned whether Hotel Hilton International,
which stands on the Senayan plot, had paid its contribution.

"There are no reports about it. How come? The Hilton has used
the plot for years now."

During yesterday's meeting, Yasidi Hambali, director of the
Gelora Senayan Management Board, admitted the board had
encountered difficulties in securing the land.

"Hotel Hilton's building permits and land permits will expire
in 2002," he said. "So we have to wait until the agreement is
over and rearrange a new deal."

As for the other buildings, such as Century Park Hotel, Plaza
Senayan and Taman Ria Senayan, they have all paid their
contributions, Yasidi said. He refused to elaborate further.

After the meeting, the House members visited former Kemayoran
airport in Central Jakarta, which is being developed into an area
called Kota Baru Bandar Kemayoran.

In the Kemayoran area there will be dozens of major
development projects, including the ambitious 558-meter-high
Jakarta Tower, Protection Tower, a nine-hole golf course, the
Kemayoran Center of Business, Telecommunications and Development
complex, hospitals, schools and more luxurious apartments.

Jakarta Fairground, Central Jakarta Immigration Office, low-
cost apartments, reservoirs and forests are located within the
area.

Director of the Jakarta Tower project S. Kayatmo said the
US$560 million project had been put on hold due to the monetary
crisis.

"We have to wait until after next month's General Session (of
the People's Consultative Assembly) to decide whether to continue
this project or not and make some calculations," he said. (edt)