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)