'Officials in Pondok Kopi sell state land illegally'
'Officials in Pondok Kopi sell state land illegally'
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Residents of Pondok Kopi subdistrict in East Jakarta revealed on
Friday that several plots of land designated for public and
social facilities had been sold illegally by subdistrict
officials.
"The plots that total around 21,000 square meters are owned by
the state, but why did the officials sell them illegally?"
questioned M. Widayat, head of community unit 05 of Pondok Kopi
subdistrict in Duren Sawit, East Jakarta.
Widayat revealed that the plots of land had been sold at a
price lower than their taxable property sale value (NJOP) without
notifying the neighborhood unit chiefs or the community unit
chiefs.
"I have a document that shows the plots were sold at only Rp
400,000 (US$46) per square meter, while the current NJOP of the
land is Rp 650,000," Widayat said, adding that the plots of land
span from community unit 05 to community unit 09.
According to a statement signed by the five community unit
chiefs, the residents also reported that the developer of a
housing complex, PT Mas Naga Raya, whose land use permit (HGB)
expired on Nov. 19, 2001, had failed to build social and public
facilities.
"As they failed to build the facilities, the residents have
had to shoulder the cost of constructing them, including mosques,
a church, sports grounds, and public parks on some of the land
without the contribution of a single rupiah from the developer or
the city administration," the statement said.
Other plots designated for public facilities were even
occupied by squatters, who pose a nuisance to local residents.
"Sometime brawls erupt due to various groups' trying to occupy
the plots," it added.
The residents filed a complaint with the East Jakarta mayor
and Jakarta governor two years ago, but they have received no
response to date.
"That's why we lodged a complaint with the City Council
Commission D on development on June 14," Widayat said.
The councillors, Widayat claimed, welcomed their report and
promised to facilitate a meeting with the city and mayoralty
administrations as well as the developer.
"We still hope to solve the problem amicably. But, if it
doesn't work then we'll have to take other action, such as filing
a class action suit, to regain the residents' rights to the use
of the land," he said.
He added that the Foundation of the Indonesian Legal Aid
Institute (YLBHI) would represent them.
There are also 15 residents who have been unable to get land
certificates for land they bought several years ago although they
had already paid for the land.
"I have paid off all my installments. I have also paid land
and property tax (PBB) for three consecutive years. But, why has
the administration refused to issue my land certificate?" said
Yap Nyuk Min, one of the 15 residents.
Yap revealed that some officials at the municipal
administration even asked him to pay a certain amount of money to
obtain the certificate.
"How can I provide a huge amount of money for those corrupt
officials, when I have been unemployed for the past three years?"
Yap sighed.
Yap was dismissed from a shipping company when the economic
crisis hit the country in 1997. His family currently rely upon
financial support from relatives.