New sites proposed for Kemang businesses

JAKARTA (JP): The municipality has recommended to businesspeople operating illegally in Kemang that they relocate to one of three sites in South Jakarta, an official said yesterday.

South Jakarta Mayor Pardjoko told reporters the three sites were Jl. Panglima Polim, Jl. Warung Buncit and Jl. Radio Dalam.

"Those areas, which have been legally altered into commercial districts, could function as alternatives for businesspeople in Kemang to relocate their businesses to," Pardjoko said.

According to the mayoralty's data, there are 248 businesses in Kemang, of which only 68 have the proper permits. The other 180 businesses are classified as illegal because they do not have the necessary permits and violate land use regulations.

Of the 180 illegal businesses, ranging from cafes and restaurants to pet food shops, 22 have already been closed.

The South Jakarta Mayoralty has already sent letters to all the owners of the businesses operation illegally, requesting they stop operating. All of these businesses must be closed by the end of this month, Pardjoko said.

"We urged the businesspeople to seal their commercial businesses by themselves rather than being forcefully closed down by public order officers."

Pardjoko said that to seal the cafes would not be an easy job because it involved people's livelihoods.

The closures are expected to affect at least 4,000 employees.

"That's why I will be careful in implementing the sealing process," he said.

The head of the city's manpower agency, R.H. Sudhartin, told reporters that his agency had been studying the Kemang case and was preparing a program to help the workers.

"I have discussed this matter with the mayor. The workers will be listed by the municipality and will be given other, suitable, jobs which match their skills," Sudhartin said.

"It is important for the businesspeople in Kemang to know that the municipality is very serious in handling Kemang. We don't want them to use the workers dismissal as an excuse to continue operating in Kemang," he added.

The controversy over land use in Kemang was sparked by the issuance of instructions dated March 18 that all building permits in the area were to be checked.

According to city regulations, only 15 percent of buildings in the area are allowed to be used for business purposes.

In practice, however, 90 percent of Kemang has been converted into commercial sites. Many businesses operate with housing permits instead of commercial licenses.

The March instructions said no new permits would be issued until everything was in order.

Existing regulations stipulate that businesses need permits from the city's tourism agency, the city's public order office, the city's development supervision agency and the local mayoralty office. (edt)