Seribu Islands needs clear regulations and authority
Seribu Islands needs clear regulations and authority
JAKARTA (JP): A marine expert and a businessman said on
Tuesday that the city administration's plan to elevate the status
of Seribu Islands from a district to a regency next year would
not enhance the people's welfare unless there are clear
regulations and authority for the new regency.
Chairman of the National Bina Samudra Foundation Ismu Sutanto
Suwelo and chairman of the Association of Marine Tourism
Businessmen in Thousand Islands Djafar Tirtosentono said that as
long as the government issued inconsistent regulations, elevating
the status of the islands will not do any good for its people.
"There is no clear regulation on who is really in charge of
the islands. There are two oil refineries in these islands but
only the central government is authorized to collect the
revenue," Djafar said while addressing a three-day seminar at the
Bidakara Complex in South Jakarta on the planning of the Thousand
Islands.
He said many of the government's decisions turned out to be
disadvantages for the locals.
"Some of the islands have been declared as national parks, so
the locals cannot do anything with their lands because as they
are prohibited from doing so. They cannot do anything to improve
the quality of their lives but they have to pay taxes for the
land and buildings," Djafar said.
"If the government wants to maintain the land as national
parks, it should provide some compensation for these people so
that they can improve their lives," he added.
Djafar stressed that elevating the status was less important
than taking an integrated and concrete action to help improve the
life of the locals.
"Probably, the government should establish an agency to take
care of the Thousand Islands," he said.
The city administration's decision to elevate the status of
the Thousand Islands is an implementation of Law No. 34/1999 on
the New Status of the Thousand Islands.
The Thousand Islands, an area of 69,976 square kilometers
(some 9,214 square kilometers of which are land), is a popular
marine resort. It is currently a district under the North Jakarta
mayoralty.
The House of Representatives approved in 1998 a draft law on
regional administrations which stipulates that the Thousand
Islands will be upgraded from a district to an administrative
mayoralty.
At least 28 of the 108 islands are individually owned, while
34 others are owned by private companies and used as resorts.
Only 11 islands are permanently inhabited.
Currently, the State Secretariat has the power to sell these
islands. It remains unclear if with the implementation of Law No.
22/1999 on regional autonomy in January next year, this authority
would be shifted to the city administration.
Addressing the same seminar, Ismu said a large area of the
Thousand Islands had been declared a national park which
therefore have to be preserved and used in accordance to the
regulation.
"However, in reality the city administration often issued
different land permits for these islands," he said.
"For example, the Sebaru Kecil island, which has been declared
a natural conservatory, is categorized as a recreational area by
the city administration. But there are many cottages found in the
islands now," Ismu cited.
Expressing his discontent, Ismu said the inconsistency between
regulations issued by the city administration and the central
government would probably never be sorted out because the
government had yet to discuss on the administrative authority for
the islands after the implementation of regional autonomy. (dja)