School project delayed again after 25 years on hold

JAKARTA (JP): After a 25-year postponement, the city's plan to develop a school complex on its 18-hectare plot at Cibubur in East Jakarta may be delayed again.

The government's directive to cut budget spending following the current monetary and stock market crisis has cast doubt over all city projects, including the long-awaited school.

Deputy Governor of Economic and Development Affairs Tb. M. Rais said, after a meeting Thursday about the school's master plan, that the city administration was still reviewing the project.

"We can't say anything further because there will be rescheduling and changes to the city's budget and development program."

But the city will try "its best" to push ahead with the plan, he said.

According to Rais, the idea to develop the site on Jl. Pondok Karya Pembangunan was proposed in 1972, when Ali Sadikin was governor.

The plan was to renovate the site, which is currently home to three schools, into an integrated school complex for students from kindergarten to university and equipped with support facilities, such as sports fields and a hospital.

The existing buildings at the site include a senior high school, a junior high school and a senior technical school.

Rais said the plan was aimed at providing better school facilities for students of all walks of life.

"Besides that, the city also wants to maximize the use of its property.

"At the Pondok Karya site there will also be dormitories and buildings for pesantren (Islamic teaching for boarding students) courses," he said.

The project, expected to cost Rp 264 billion (US$88.70 million), will come out of the city's budget and be developed by a privately-owned company, PT Perentjanaan Djaja.

Priority

Governor Surjadi Soedirdja reminded the company to concentrate on educational interests rather than a commercial slant.

"The most important thing is creating better educational facilities for the students," he said.

"The Pondok Karya site is the city's property and should be developed as an example of a complete school complex for the future."

Surjadi directed the company to build the school first.

"Later, we can build the other facilities. The interests of the students must come first," he said, referring to dormitories which will be rented to pesantren students.

The company's project architect, Nursyahid Rachmat, said development would be divided into five stages.

"The first phase might be started next year with the construction of a mosque and pesantren facilities, which are all expected to be completed by 1999," he said.

According to an initial plan, the whole project is expected to be concluded in 2002.

"But we are still waiting for the right moment to start because of the ongoing financial crisis," Nursyahid said. (07)