Govt to speed up completion of BSD toll road project

TANGERANG (JP): The government has pledged to speed up the completion of a toll road project in Jakarta to Bumi Serpong Damai (BSD) housing complex in a bid to further develop the area, in which there are an increasing number of foreign investments, a minister said on Saturday.

State Minister of Research and Technology/Chairman of the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology Zuhal made the statement in his speech at the opening of the Deutsche Internationale Schule in Bumi Serpong Damai housing complex.

"I will discuss the possibility of continuing the second part of the project with Minister of Public Works Rachmadi B. Sumadhijo," he said.

He explained that the first part of the 13.1-kilometer toll road, which connects Serpong and Pondok Aren in South Jakarta, opened last month.

The second part, from Pondok Aren to Ulujami, was originally to be built by PT Jasa Marga, a state-owned highway corporation, but it has practically ground to a halt due to the economic crisis.

As the government is concentrating on the safety net program to help those severely affected by the crisis, Zuhal said he would possibly invite the private sector, including foreign investors already operating in BSD, to invest in the construction of the toll road.

He reiterated that the toll road was essential to provide better access to the BSD area, thereby accelerating development there.

Meanwhile, W. Hinners, the principal of the German Internationale Schule, said the school started operating at its new address in BSD on Oct. 12.

The school relocated from its two old locations on Jl. Sam Ratulangi, Central Jakarta, and Jl. Prapanca, South Jakarta, because the sites were no longer conducive to supporting teaching and learning activities.

The school, which stands on a 4.7-hectare plot of land, is equipped with two swimming pools, a soccer field and a sports hall for basketball, handball and gymnastics.

Hinners said the three-story school building, which has 270 students and 32 teachers, also has an auditorium and chemistry, physics and biology laboratories.

"The majority of the students (about 80 percent) are German, but we have Austrian, Swiss, American, Dutch and other nationalities as well. The only prerequisite here is that the students have to be able to speak and understand German in order to follow the lessons," he said.

He said that besides it being essential to be able to speak German, students were also obliged to learn English, French and Indonesian.

"We do teach Indonesian as a language from a very early age (10 years). We instill an understanding of Indonesian arts and culture through a special 'Landeskunde' program, classes that concentrate on Indonesian geography, culture and regional differences," he said.

Zuhal said he would also consult ministers related to the making of education policies on the possibility of allowing Indonesian students to study at international schools in the country.

"We will discuss the policy which currently bans Indonesian students from registering themselves to study at international schools in the country," he said.

Allowing local students to go to international schools will enable them to easily continue their studies abroad, he said. (hhr)