Regent's decision still under fire

JAKARTA (JP): Bekasi Regent Moch. Djamhari's decision requiring that developers pay Rp 147,500 for every square meter of housing project land to the town planning agency continues to draw the wrath of construction companies.

Last year, the mayor made the ruling on payments to the agency, which is authorized to require developers to provide public facilities in the housing complexes they build.

The executives of the West Java chapter of the Indonesian Real Estate Association continue to charge that the ruling is unfair.

"The decision has put the developers at a disadvantage because they have to pay out a lot more money than expected for their housing complexes," association chairman Paskah Suzeta told The Jakarta Post in Bekasi, a township located 25 kilometers east of the capital, earlier this week.

Paskah made the remarks after trying in vain to meet with the regent to air his association's grievances. (12/bas)