Sutiyoso orders agency to take down billboards
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Governor Sutiyoso ordered Jakarta Revenue Agency head Deden Supriadi on Monday afternoon to remove billboards along the Sedyatmo toll road in Kapuk, North Jakarta, that were put up without the agency's permission.
The governor said he was "very upset" with the illegal felling of mangrove trees in the protected forest alongside the toll road to make way for the billboards, which were put up by the PT Rainbow Cipta Utama advertising agency.
"I cannot tolerate this violation because they cut down mangrove trees in a protected forest," he said at City Hall. "We will turn the case over to the police and the city agriculture and forestry agency for further investigation and legal proceedings."
More than 240 trees, mostly mangrove trees, were cut down to make billboards in 10 locations along the toll road more visible to passing motorists heading to and from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Cengkareng, Tangerang.
City spokesman Muhayat said PT Rainbow received a permit from toll road operator PT Jasa Marga to put up the billboards, but should also have obtained a permit from the city administration.
He said PT Rainbow had earlier proposed the construction of the billboards, but was rebuffed by the administration because the location was within a protected forest.
Agriculture and forestry agency head Peni Susanti told The Jakarta Post a joint team comprising police officers and agency officials had questioned two employees of PT Mandara Permai over the illegal felling of the trees. PT Mandara Permai is the developer of the Pantai Indah Kapuk housing estate, which is located near to the area where the trees were cut down.
"The employees said they had seen several people in cars, which were later identified as Jasa Marga vehicles, at the site. They thought the people were only cleaning up the area," she said.
Peni said the team was scheduled to question employees from PT Jasa Marga on Thursday and PT Rainbow on Friday.
The chairman of the Association of Outdoor Advertisement Agencies of Jakarta, Didi Oetama Afandi, estimated that one of the billboards in question could bring in about Rp 140 million (US$16,470) a year for Jasa Marga and Rp 200 million annually for the city's coffers.