Private firm eyes Kramat Tunggak

JAKARTA (JP): Private company PT Nuansa Jasa Realtindo has plans to build a shopping complex where the popular Kramat Tunggak red-light district now stands in North Jakarta, one of the firm's executives said yesterday.

The company's director, Muhizar Chaidir, said the company would start with the construction of shop-houses early next year.

"The shop-houses will be followed by the construction of hotels and other supporting facilities by early 2000," Muhizar said without giving details on funding for the project.

"It will be arranged by a special team established by the administration," he said on the presentation of his firm's project in front of high-ranking city officials and members of the Jakarta chapter of the Indonesian Ulemas Council.

The city administration has pledged to close down the flesh trade establishments by the end of this year following protests from local residents who strongly oppose their existence.

The plan to relocate the 10.4-hectare prostitution complex, which now houses about 1,600 prostitutes, has been discussed intermittently since the 1980s.

The administration has become increasingly confused as its plan to relocate the red-light district, which was established in 1970, have been strong opposed from residents of planned relocation sites.

The administration, for example, was forced to cancel its plans to relocate it to Rawa Malang and the Thousand Islands chain, both in North Jakarta. (ind)