New ring road partners sought

Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

City Governor Sutiyoso told city-owned developer PT Jakarta Propertindo (Jakpro) on Thursday to replace its partners, who were related to former President Soeharto's family, in the delayed Jakarta Outer Ring Road (JORR) toll road project.

"I advised them to cancel their (partnership with) old partners and find new partners. So many firms want to work on this project," Sutiyoso told reporters at the city hall.

But the governor underlined that Jakpro would continue with the Rp 4 trillion (US$400 million) project.

"The project would be profitable for the company and would add to the city's revenue," he remarked.

During a hearing with Jakpro on Wednesday, the council urged the company to quit the project, saying that it would only be used by their current partners, who were allegedly linked to Soeharto's eldest daughter Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana, popularly known as Tutut.

Tutut's company built several toll roads in the country during the period of her father's presidency, but the company is currently banned from entering the JORR toll project tender.

Councillor Audi I.Z. Tambunan of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle accused Jakpro's current partners of having links to Tutut.

"We feared that the project would only be used for money laundering by Soeharto's family," Audi told reporters.

He also said he regretted the company's refusal to reveal its partners.

The company said it could not reveal its partners as it was part of a requirement of the 69.3-kilometer toll road project tender.

Jakpro has passed a preliminary tender, along with a Malaysian Consortium and an Italian consortium.

Tutut's firm PT Citra Marga Nusapala Persada (CMNP) last month filed a lawsuit against the Ministry of Settlement and Regional Infrastructure at the Jakarta Administrative Court for prohibiting the company from joining the project.

The project's tender process is being delayed due to the lawsuit.