Monas to close this week

JAKARTA: The National Monument (Monas) park will be closed from Tuesday to Sunday, with Governor Sutiyoso scheduled to inaugurate the newly fenced-in park on Monday, Dec. 16.

The administration has spent Rp 9 billion to build a fence around the park, a controversial project that has drawn much public criticism.

The fence is meant to keep vendors out of the park, which authorities hope will result in a cleaner and more orderly environment.

Central Jakarta Mayor Petra Lumbun told beritajakarta.com that after the reopening of the park a total of 647 vendors will be allowed to operate in certain location in the area.

There are currently some 2,000 vendors, mostly people from outside of Jakarta, operating in the park. Those without Jakarta ID cards will be banned from operating in the area, in accordance with the city administration's policy to curb the flow of migrants by discouraging unskilled people from coming to the city.

Lumbun said that after Monas' inauguration, a total of 1,200 auxiliary police and public order officers would be deployed to secure the area and drive away vendors trying to work outside of the designated locations.

The number of horse carts operating in the area also will be decreased from 100 to 50. The drivers will be required to wear traditional Betawi attire.--JP