Two megaprojects finally included in revised plan
Two megaprojects finally included in revised plan
JAKARTA (JP): Two widely publicized megaprojects -- the three-
tier transit system and the Manggarai integrated terminal -- have
finally been included in the revised 1997-2020 spatial plan, a
city official said yesterday.
Neither project was included in the presentation of the
revised plan in May, the head of the City's Development Planning
Board, Budihardjo Sukmadi, said.
"The revision of the plan is expected to be completed in the
middle of next month and will be presented to Governor Surjadi
Soedirdja," Budihardjo told reporters after a coordination
meeting on the city's development at City Hall.
He said the two projects were to be finally included after a
thorough consideration on their capacity to help solve Jakarta's
complicated traffic problems.
In May's presentation, two other megaprojects: the US$2.3
billion subway connecting Blok M in South Jakarta and downtown
Kota and the reclamation of North Jakarta bay, were added to the
plan.
The revised 1997-2010 spatial plan, which will replace the
current 1985-2005 plan, is designed to accommodate new
development needs in the city.
Budihardjo said that the consortium in charge of building the
$285 million Manggarai integrated terminal had yet to present the
project's details to the administration. "We expect the details
soon," he said.
Work on both the Rp 6.05 trillion (US$2.01 billion) three-tier
transit system and the Manggarai terminal is scheduled to start
in December this year.
The construction of the three-tier transit system connecting
Bintaro in South Jakarta and downtown Kota is expected to start
in Bintaro, South Jakarta, and to be completed by 2001.
Joint venture
The system is to be built by joint venture company PT
Citramoda Margakencana Persada, which consists of PT Citra
Lamtoro Gung Persada -- owned by President Soeharto's eldest
daughter Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana -- state-owned railway company
Perumka and state-owned highway corporation PT Jasa Marga.
The Manggarai integrated transport proposal, which is also
being advanced by Mrs. Rukmana, was first presented to the
President in 1995.
Under the plan, the existing terminal is to be turned into a
four-story station with 22 tracks, four underground express lines
and an intercity bus terminal.
The revised spatial plan has to be approved by the governor,
City Council Speaker Edy Waluyo and Minister of Home Affairs
Moch. Yogie S.M. before it becomes official.
Budihardjo said that Surjadi, whose term of office end on Oct.
5, has still to present the spatial plan to the City Council.
"But as it will take some time for the council members to
evaluate the plan, the new plan is likely to be approved by the
new governor," Budihardjo said.
In yesterday's meeting, Governor Surjadi told the heads of the
city's projects not to "force" the administration to give
priority in financing their projects due to the current financial
crisis.
"This 1997/1998 fiscal year is very hard for us. That is why
we have to evaluate the budget and give priority to certain
development projects," he said.
He said that he was not very optimistic about the current
monetary crisis.
"Some businesspeople I called told me that the situation was
awful. So, you could imagine our difficult situation. Usually,
those people were very optimistic," Surjadi said.
The administration was currently making an inventory of all
city projects, which will be presented to the governor next
month.
Surjadi also lamented officials who applied double standards
in executing development project.
"There is always a difference between the plan and reality. If
it doesn't change, don't expect us to win the competition in
global market," he said. (ste/07)