Soeharto gives green light to Jonggol project
Soeharto gives green light to Jonggol project
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto approved yesterday his second
son's plan to develop a self-sufficient city in Jonggol, Bogor,
about 50 kilometers southeast of here, but called on developer PT
Bukit Jonggol Asri not to sacrifice local residents' interests.
Speaking at the presentation of the plan at Bina Graha, the
presidential office, Soeharto said the project should not be
against national development which was for the people's
prosperity.
"There must not be any forceful eviction of local families. If
evictions cannot be avoided the evicted people must be made more
prosperous," the President said.
State Minister for National Development Planning Ginandjar
Kartasasmita, Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono, Minister of
Public Works Radinal Moochtar, Minister of Forestry Djamaluddin
Soeryohadikoesoemo, State Minister for Agrarian Affairs Soni
Harsono and Minister of Defense and Security Edi Sudradjat were
at the presentation.
The president's son, Bambang Trihatmodjo, who heads the
developer, and West Java Governor R. Nuriana were also present.
Ginandjar said after the presentation President Soeharto
frequently asked the developer to be extra careful not to harm
local residents interests.
"The blue print must be available. In this way the development
project can be properly carried out. Avoid any criticism which
says the developer will just spread poverty," Soeharto was quoted
as saying.
President Soeharto asked the governor and the Bogor
administration to stop land speculation. "Experience teaches us
that land prices soar after a permit to develop an area is
issued," he said.
"The governor should not allow any land brokerage," he said.
Rumors have it that PT Bukit Jonggol Asri plan to move
Jakarta's central administration to the Jonggol subdistrict.
PT Bukit Jonggol Asri is a consortium set up by Bambang with
the Kaestindo Group.
Governor R. Nuriana said the consortium would develop a 30,000
hectare area: 15,000 hectares of residential land, an
administration center, a railway station, a cemetery, a waste
disposal site, and an industrial estate. The other 15,000
hectares would be for protected areas: rice fields, tourism
sites, and a reservoir, Nuriana said.
President Soeharto said the industrial estate should be
planned properly.
"Proper planning will help investors expand their businesses,"
Soeharto said.
The President quoted research stating half of Indonesia's
population would eventually live in cities.
He said Indonesia's population would reach 300 million in
2030.
Jakarta now had three satellite towns, Bogor, Tangerang and
Bekasi, which would not meet requirements of satellite towns in
the future, Soeharto said.
"Now the townships are no longer adequate," he said, citing
the messy traffic caused by township residents going to and from
their work places in Jakarta. (sur)