Private firms wanted to care for parks

Private firms wanted to care for parks

JAKARTA (JP): The City Parks Agency said on Monday that local
private firms were invited to maintain parks in the city and
could use them to promote their image.

"I have secured permission from Governor Sutiyoso to offer and
introduce the idea to local private companies," head of the
agency Dadang Ruskandar told reporters at City Hall.

He said his office had so far received proposals from five
private companies to take care of its seven parks, located in
strategic areas of the city.

The seven are Suropati Park, Semanggi Park, the median along
Jl. Thamrin and Jl. Sudirman, Jl. Imam Bonjol Park and Jl.
Diponegoro Park, all in Central Jakarta, and Rasuna Said Park in
South Jakarta.

"They will have the right to manage the parks for a period of
one year and erect a sort of information board in the respective
locations containing the names of the companies," he said.

Dadang said the private firms would be responsible for
trimming the grass once every two weeks, watering plants twice a
day and getting rid of weeds periodically.

"And once their period is over, they can renew the right to
manage the parks," he said.

He added that the program would help reduce the agency's
future expenses in taking care of the parks, each of which
required Rp 100 million (US$11,764) annually for maintenance.

The official said priority would be given to companies
operating in Jakarta who would contribute to caring for the
city's parks while at the same time promoting their corporate
image.

The decision, Dadang said, was taken to ensure good care of
the parks and that, hopefully, in the future, all of the city's
parks could be managed by private companies.

"The private companies' involvement will enable the agency to
focus on programs to return the misappropriated parks to their
original functions and to develop new parks in poor areas of the
capital," he said.

Official data show that there are 562 city parks covering a
total of 177,290 square kilometers. The agency is currently
focusing on reconverting some 203 misappropriated parks, standing
on 1,206 hectares, to their original use.

Commenting on unused funds allocated to take care of the
city's parks, Dadang said the money would be used to finance the
agency's projects to develop new park locations in the capital's
poor areas.

He cited that for the establishment of new parks, his office
had set up a City Beautification Team, comprising city officials
and landscape associations, to set guidelines for the planned
park development projects in the poor areas.

Dadang said he had ordered his staff in the capital's five
mayoralties to provide three planned locations in their
respective areas for the project.

"By doing so, the agency will be able to provide parks which
will help beautify poor areas throughout the city," he said.
(lup/nvn)