Kebon Kacang land price higher

Kebon Kacang land price higher

JAKARTA (JP): After a heated dispute with local residents, a
developer has agreed to increase his offer for land in Kebon
Kacang, Central Jakarta, by Rp 100,000 (US$43.47) per square
meter.

Central Jakarta Mayor Abdul Kahfi said Thursday that PT Asia
Troika has agreed to increase the price from Rp 2.5 million per
square meter to Rp 2.6 million for certified land and from Rp
2.25 million to Rp 2.35 million for uncertified land.

Nineteen families, whose buildings stand on 2,000 square
meters of land in Kebon Kacang, have been at loggerheads with the
developer over compensation. They demanded that the developer pay
them Rp 5 million for each square meter of land.

The residents have protested the mayoralty's demolition order
to the City Council. In response to the residents' protest,
councilors said last week that the mayoralty has no right to take
the side of a developer in such a case.

Mayor Abdul Kahfi urged the residents on Thursday to accept
the highest offer, or the mayoralty would have their houses
demolished.

He said four years ago the developer offered only Rp 350,000
in compensation for one square meter of the same land.

Kahfi defended his plan by saying that the land must be
appropriated for public facilities such as road enlargement.

The developer plans to build a hotel and apartments on 1.8
hectares of land which stretches from Tanah Abang to Jl. Thamrin.

"The project has been delayed for years, so there will be no
other choice but to pull the buildings down," he said. (yns)