Violation of high-rise building permits 'rife'

JAKARTA (JP): Most developers in Jakarta have violated permits for the construction of high-rise buildings, a businessman said yesterday.

Enggartiasto Lukita, former head of the Indonesian Real Estate Association, said the city bylaw on high-rise buildings had been implemented in a "flexible way".

Enggar was responding to media reports that the construction of Mulia Senayan Hotel on Jl. Asia Afrika, Central Jakarta, had violated the building's permit.

"If we are talking about a violation of the building's height, I tell you that most high-rise buildings in Jakarta have violated their permits," he said.

"Developers violate their permits because the city bylaw allows them to do such things as long as they pay the fines for the additional floors.

"For instance, the real building plan is four stories. The developers are allowed to build higher -- say a 10-story building -- but they have to pay the fines for the additional six floors."

If they fail to pay the fines the additional levels will be torn down, he said.

"The municipality will still give the developers their building permits, as long as they pay the fines."

Based on the plans for Mulia Senayan Hotel -- jointly signed by the Jakarta governor and the secretary/state minister some time ago -- the project was permitted to have only 16 stories. But the hotel has 40 stories, the media reports said.

Permits to build skyscrapers with more than 32 stories can only be issued by the city governor after serious deliberations, as stated in city bylaw No. 4/1974.

"From the beginning, the developers of Mulia Senayan Hotel planned to build 40 stories, more than what was stated in the building plans," he alleged. "But the developers haven't paid the fines because, at that time, the municipality thought that it was important for the hotel to be finished first for the sake of the 19th SEA Games."

When asked about the fine to be imposed, Enggar said the municipality was still considering the amount to be levied against the hotel.

"Please ask the municipality about this," he said, refusing to elaborate further.

The director of Gelora Senayan Management Board, Yasidi Hambali, said yesterday that the location had been earmarked for the Jakarta Country Club (JCC) instead of a hotel.

"The management had a contract with the JCC developer in 1993 but, with the need to provide accommodation for the 19th SEA Games, the developer joined the Mulia Group to build a 40-story hotel," he said.

"The management was never informed about plans for the hotel's construction."

The Games consortium, chaired by President Soeharto's son Bambang Trihatmodjo, decided to build the hotel. Construction began in November 1996 and it was officially opened by President Soeharto in September 1997. (07/yan)