Menteng offices will be closed by 1997: Mayor

Menteng offices will be closed by 1997: Mayor

JAKARTA (JP): Central Jakarta Mayor Abdul Kahfi has vowed to
close down all offices in the Menteng residential area by the end
of 1997.

Kahfi said yesterday his office was planning to return a total
of 133 buildings in the area to their original functions as
residences because Menteng is a pilot project for city's
residential areas.

"Based on an intensive operation we have been conducting since
1992, it was discovered that a total of 380 buildings were used
as offices," he said, adding that now, only 133 buildings are
still being used for that purpose.

Kahfi said his office had failed to close down all the offices
by the end of 1995 as planned because of various factors, but he
stressed he would not tolerate them this time.

One of the factors is the difficulty in finding a new location
which will not cause the owners of the offices to lose their
customers, he said.

"They argued they would drastically lose their customers if
they moved to another location and that they needed time to find
the perfect location. We have given them ample time to move to
other areas and they have signed written statements that they
will move from the current location by the end of 1997," he said.

When asked about the fact that the owners lease their
buildings because they cannot afford to pay the property taxes,
Kahfi dismissed this as a poor excuse.

"You can lease the buildings as long as it is in line with the
regulation. And remember, paying high taxes is a consequence you
have to face for living in such a neighborhood," he said.

A similar policy is being implemented by the East and West
Jakarta mayoralties because the mayors are also determined to
continue closing down offices located in residential areas under
their jurisdiction.

"This is not a new operation. We have been doing it for years.
However, such action is time-consuming because we should check
with the city planning board before closing down a house," East
Jakarta Mayor Sudarsono said.

The mayor recently closed down a house in Condet that was used
by Megawati Soekarnoputri as the headquarters for her Indonesian
Democratic Party executive board.

The deposed chief of the minority political party set up a
headquarters in the area following the forced takeover of her
original headquarters on Jl. Diponegoro in Central Jakarta by
supporters of Soerjadi, the government-sanctioned chairman of the
party, last July in a move that sparked massive riots.

The East Jakarta mayoralty claimed there was no political
motive involved in the closure of Megawati's office in Condet. He
said it was closed down simply because it was in line with the
city regulation that bans anyone from opening offices in
residential areas.

The city administration supported the mayor's action, saying
it was planning to close down offices in residential areas in all
parts of the city.

Meanwhile, West Jakarta Mayor Sutardjianto said he has ordered
all subdistrict chiefs in the mayoralty not to easily issue any
recommendations.

"I have ordered them to be careful and to check before giving
any recommendations to people who intend to move to their area
because it might be misused," he said.

He said the recommendation was needed to get business permits
from the Jakarta offices of the ministries of industry and trade.
(yns)