Public participation in master plans invited
Public participation in master plans invited
JAKARTA (JP): State Minister of National Development Planning Ginandjar Kartasasmita said yesterday that the drafting of spatial master plans should involve the private sector, including individuals.
"So far the public, both private firms and individuals, have not been involved in preparing the general spatial planning and urban development planning, as suggested by the Zoning Law No. 24/1992," Ginandjar told reporters after opening the fourth congress and seminar of the Indonesia Association of Planners (IAP) at the Century Park Hotel.
He said the government has requested local administrations to ask for public participation.
He also stressed that both the general spatial and urban development plans are not set to facilitate private investments but to preserve the environment for the interest of the public.
Ginandjar, who is also Chairman of the National Development Planning Board, said that investors found responsible for violating master plans should face sanctions.
"However, the existing master plans are currently being reviewed as most of them were made before the introduction of the 1992 law," he said, adding that the Ministry of Home Affairs has sent letters to authorities in all of the country's provinces, mayoralties and regencies to review their master plans.
He said that the review of the master plans should be in line with the Sixth Five Year Development Plan (Repelita VI) and the State Guidelines of 1993.
Ginandjar told the congress that planners, in reviewing the existing plans, should consider changes in the society, including the social-economic transformation from traditional to modern communities.
He said that by the year 2004, Indonesia will have 260 million people -- with the assumption of annual population growth of 0.9 percent -- of whom 155 million will live in big cities.
"The number of urban centers in the country is estimated to increase from 11 at present to 21 by 2004," he said. "One of the centers will be the Jakarta greater area with a population of 35 million people."
He said qualified planners are needed for the development of both cities and villages in line with the principles of environment friendliness.(icn)