Netherlands donate streetlights

JAKARTA (JP): The Netherlands has donated 530 streetlights worth Rp 2.177 billion to the city, with officials saying the project would hopefully help boost investor confidence.

The donation of the 400-watt and 250-watt streetlights is part of a pilot project involving a joint venture between Indonesian lighting manufacturer PT Artolite Indah Mediatama and Dutch electronics manufacturer Industria BV.

"What is very important in this cooperation is that two companies from two different countries work together to develop themselves as a powerful company in the lighting market in Southeast Asia," Dutch Ambassador Baron Schelto Van Heemstra said late last week.

The streetlights will be installed in South, East and West Jakarta.

Van Heemstra made his statement while symbolically presenting the streetlights to the city's deputy governor for development affair, Budihardjo Soekmadi.

Among the 116,000 lights across the capital, comprising streetlights and lights in parks and in other public facilities, Oloan said some 20 percent were in urgent need of repair, if not replacement. (07)