On land use permits

On land use permits

I don't know why when The Jakarta Post reports on some new
environmental degradation (City reaches new depths as land use
plan fails to sink in, March 1), the officials quoted always seem
so surprised. Aren't they the same officials that turn a blind
eye to regulations and the same officials who issue the permits
for the construction of ill-planned buildings?

You have only to look at Kemang Raya to know that the land use
permit system is seriously compromised. Why else would there be
six new multi-storey buildings and three more under construction
in the past two years with no heed given to traffic and parking?
No heed given to economics either, as many of the new buildings
can't attract tenants and now sit like blank eyes, blighting the
urban landscape.

Let's hope that environmentalist Ahmad Syafrudin's sensible
recommendation to use the master plan as the reference for
building permits is accepted by the city administration before
some disaster befalls us.

LUCY S. MIZE, Jakarta