Monas project to finish in October

Monas project to finish in October

JAKARTA: The controversial Rp 8 billion fencing project at the National Monument (Monas) park in Central Jakarta began over the past weekend and is scheduled to be completed in October.

The project manager, David Manariur, speaking after launching the project on Friday, said the 3.2-meter high iron fence that will encircle the park is being made by three workshops in Duren Sawit, East Jakarta, in Bekasi and in Tangerang.

Five makeshift rooms for workers and a temporary office are being built inside the park and are expected to be completed on Monday.

The project is being carried out by PT Rolina Jaya Utama, and involves 400 workers. It has met with much criticism from architects and observers, who say the fence will spoil the aesthetic value of the park.

The city administration has insisted that it needs to fence off the park to prevent vendors from illegally operating in the area.

On Friday, during the ceremony to initiate the project, five goats were slaughtered and the meat distributed to 200 local residents. --JP