Presiden Soeharto calls for quicker licenses
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto instructed yesterday related ministries to help speed up the processing of licenses for the construction of a large integrated terminal project at Manggarai, South Jakarta.
The minister of Public Works can pay attention to the new access for the terminal and minister for Agrarian Affairs to the processing of land certification in connection with the establishment of the project, the President said, adding that their works can be coordinated by the minister of National Development Planning.
The President made the remarks at the presentation of the terminal project's plan, at Bina Graha presidential office, by Minister of Transportation Haryanto Dhanutirto and executives from the Manggarai Consortium in charge of handling the project, which is estimated to cost about US$285 million.
The presentation was attended by a number of high-ranking officials, including Minister of Public Works Radinal Moochtar, Minister of Investment Sanyoto Sastrowardoyo, Minister of Development Planning Ginandjar Kartasasmita, Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono and Jakarta Governor Surjadi Soedirdja.
The President reminded that since the project is very strategic, to serving the huge population of about nine million in the city, its implementation should not cause the public to suffer losses.
"This project will be implemented by a consortium consisting of seven private companies. On the one hand the consortium shows mutual cooperation, while on the other it prevents any comment that the project is given only to one company," he said.
The seven companies joining the consortium are PT Bandar Mardi Perkasa, PT Cahaya Cipta Adicemerlang, PT Citra Agratama Persada, PT Mitraguna Tribhakti, PT Pembangunan Jaya, PT Sekar Artha Sentosa and PT Suhamthabie Utama.
President Soeharto underlined the importance of giving priority to the utilization of local products for its construction.
He also hailed the employment of many local engineers for the design and development of the project and hoped that the huge project could become a starting point to enter the 21th century.
Mrs. Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana, chairperson of the consortium, explained that the construction of the project will start as soon as its permit is completed.
She said the project, to be built on a 72-hectare plot of land owned by the state-owned railway company Perumka, will consist of a railway station with 22 railway lines on the ground floor; four underground express railway lines; an inter-city bus terminal, with a capacity of accommodating 3,600 buses per day; a city bus terminal with 5,760 buses per day; a taxi terminal; and hotels.
"Even though the construction of the project is targeted to be wholly completed by the year 2006, the construction of the terminals alone is expected to be completed within the next four to five years," she said, adding that the facilities are designed to be capable of accommodating 6.5 million passengers per day.
Besides terminals and hotels, the project will also be equipped with business centers and new residential sites, she said.
Minister of Transportation Haryanto expressed confidence that the project will be able to help solve traffic problems, especially when the construction of the mass transit system, currently being prepared in the city, is also completed on time.
Haryanto said that the project will be managed under a joint operation scheme between the consortium and Perumka, in which part of the 72 hectares of the land will be compensated for with lands in other areas. (hhr)