Govt to limit town development

BANDUNG: State Minister of Public Housing Akbar Tanjung said Saturday that the government plans to limit the development of new towns.

"The government will tighten rules on town development," Akbar told reporters after opening a seminar called Planning for and Control of New Town Development.

He did not elaborate on the rules but maintained that development should be aimed at establishing self-contained cities.

"Future towns should be self-contained cities that are able to provide their residents with everything they need," he said.

He said that the new towns should be able to act as supporting cities for larger cities.

"New towns should be able to curb the movement of people to large cities and draw them away from crowded urban centers," he said, citing the successful development of new towns in Java such as the 6,000-hectare Bumi Serpong Damai complex in the suburbs of Jakarta.

"We do not want the towns to be developed as an extension of the big cities," he said.

Akbar was referring to a statement made by former environment minister Emil Salim, who has suggested establishing a Greater Jakarta Coordinating Board to solve the social and environmental problems that affect the cities of Jakarta, Bekasi, Bogor and Tangerang. (17/imn)