Rais for move of Kemang cafes to Kota

Rais for move of Kemang cafes to Kota

JAKARTA (JP): The deputy governor for economic and development
Affairs, Tb. M. Rais, said yesterday Kemang's businesses should
move to Kota, West Jakarta.

Kemang is a residential area and only 15 percent of its
buildings should be non-residential. But this limit has been
exceeded in Kemang.

The suggestion was first made by Jakarta's museum and
restoration agency head, Haswidi Ahmad, who such a move would
help revitalize Kota.

"Kota is a tourist spot and we are planning to centralize
tourism activities there," Rais said.

Kemang business owners have said they have no choice but to
comply with city administration's wishes to restore Kemang to a
strictly residential site.

But they demanded other residential areas be forced to comply
also.

Governor Surjadi Soedirdja said the city was partially to
blame because it issued many non-housing permits, businesses have
been told to move when their permits expire.

Rais said the 15 percent ratio was hard to work out because
the population in areas like Kemang was growing rapidly,
increasing the need for businesses.

On Tuesday several owners asked for their permits to be
extended for three to five years but Rais said this was not
possible.

"There might be adjustments in the future, but now all
businesses should follow the city regulations," he said.

Businesses should cater to residents' needs but many people
from other areas were coming to Kemang, he said. (10)