Governor seeks help from city's advisory board
JAKARTA (JP): Governor Surjadi Soedirdja is calling for assistance by development experts as the city soars ever upwards toward the era of "skyscrapers and flyovers."
"The future of Jakarta will be colored with the ever continuing emergence of skyscrapers, flyovers, and the scarcity of green areas," the governor said yesterday at the inauguration ceremony of new members of the BPTB, an advisory board in charge of giving advice to the municipality on development affairs.
He asked the board to render full assistance to the city administration in developing the city so that "the existence of the green zone is proportionate to the developed zone, and underground water is well preserved."
Around 50 new members of the BPTB (Building Technical Advisory Body) were installed yesterday for the 1994-1997 period.
Prawoto, an assistant to the provincial secretary in charge of development and economic affairs, said the body comprises noted experts from several prominent universities and think-tanks.
The body, ex officio presided over by the chief of the Municipal Development Surveillance Office, consists of three sections, including the Architectural Advisory Team, Building Construction Advisory Team and Building Installation Advisory Team.
New chief
Muchamad Danisworo from the ITB (Bandung Institute of Technology) was installed as new chief of the Architectural Advisory Team, Harianto Sunidja from the UI (University of Indonesia) as new chief of the Building Construction Advisory Team, and Sudibyono as new chief of the Building Installation Advisory Team.
Each team is to hold weekly discussions on cases related to their expertise and regularly advise the governor.
Prawoto said the body was formed in 1974 because the municipality at the time lacked technical experts on development affairs.
"Besides, the municipality wants to always remain objective in judging and deciding on development cases which draw complaints from the public," said Prawoto, who also serves as one of the body's supervisors.
According to him, from 1990 to 1993, the Architectural Advisory Body managed to handle and solve 2,620 cases.
The Building Construction Advisory Team managed to handle 152 projects of more than eight-story buildings.
The Building Installation Advisory Team managed to handle 94 projects of above eight story buildings.
Governor Surjadi noted that the body faces greater challenges in the years ahead, following the issuance of a gubernatorial decree of 1994 on building intensity.
The decree opens the possibility of constructing high-rise buildings over 32 stories high.
MH Ritonga, the City Council speaker, told the Jakarta Post that the city council fully supported the formation of the advisory body.
"Such a body is extremely necessary for Jakarta. Soon after the ceremony, I told my fellow city councilors that we will hold many hearings with the body of experts in the future," said Ritonga. (jsk)