PT Humpuss not involved in land appropriation in Koja
JAKARTA (JP): PT. Humpuss, the private sector partner for a container port project of the state-owned port company PT Pelindo, announced yesterday that it is not responsible for appropriation of land in North Koja subdistrict, North Jakarta.
The company's president, Ongki P. Sumarno, said that his company will only provide the port equipment, while PT Pelindo will be responsible for providing the land, the dock and the container yard for the project.
"It is clear enough now that PT Pelindo is the only party responsible for the land acquisition," Ongki said after a hearing with Commission A (for agrarian affairs) of the City Council.
The hearing is part of the Commission's efforts to increase the compensation for North Koja residents, whose land will be used for the project.
The current compensation payment of Rp 160,000 per square meter of land is called "inhumane" by most of the residents, who persist in demanding Rp 2.275 million per square meter.
PT Humpuss, a diversified business group owned by President Soeharto's youngest son, Hutomo Mandala Putra, will provide several 40-meter-high container cranes, trucks and electrical and lighting systems, as well as other equipment, for supporting the port's operations.
Ongki added that the firm's calculation of its total investment in the port project was based on the assumption that there would no cost for land appropriation.
Forty percent of the investment, which stands at US$450 million, or almost one trillion rupiah, will be paid by PT Humpuss, he added.
The project, for the third container port at Tanjung Priok harbor, is expected to yield its first profit after 14 years.
Postpone
Most North Koja residents are still struggling for higher levels of land compensation, while the North Jakarta administration has postponed the demolition of their houses until June.
Syaifullah, a spokesman for the residents' delegation, told The Jakarta Post yesterday that most of the area residents would make every possible effort to increase the current compensation level.
"And of course, going to court will be our last resort if there is no other way," he said.
"We will win the battle if the court will hear our case fairly since we are lawful tenants," he said.
The demolition of the houses was postponed after an appeal by a prominent local figure, Eddy Marzuki Nalapraya, who was formerly deputy governor of Jakarta.
Almost 40,000 people still live on 90 hectares of land in the subdistrict, which PT Pelindo intends to appropriate. (05)