No supervision for city buildings

No supervision for city buildings

From Kompas

In the past few months many houses in the Menteng area in
Central Jakarta -- buildings which should be protected by the
capital's administration for their historical value and
architecture -- have been demolished. New houses have been built
which are a far cry from the style prevalent in Menteng. It has,
of course, led to a loss of the area's character.

In this context we wonder what the function is of the City
Development Supervision Agency (Dinas P2K), because by virtue of
Gubernatorial Decision No. D IV-6098/d/33/1975, it is prohibited
to knock down or modify the houses. The agency has the authority
to issue a building permit after stipulated conditions have been
fulfilled. It does not function to encourage the razing of
buildings; its duty is to maintain the wholeness of the city.

In our observation the regulation -- initially intended to
protect the city's cultural assets -- has been wrongly applied,
i.e. by sacrificing preserved buildings for personal interest.

An uncompromising stance and firm measures from the Jakarta
governor are expected so that the capital's administration
becomes an agency that really serves the interests of its
residents.

According to the law on cultural preservation, the city
administration is obliged to protect designated cultural
buildings so Jakarta does not lose its artifacts. It is important
the next generation knows and appreciates the areas with their
own characteristics and uniqueness.

A. HEUKEN

GRACE PAMUNGKAS

Jakarta