City urged to make bylaw for reclamation project

JAKARTA. The Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry has urged the Jakarta administration to issue a bylaw on the spatial planning and zoning of coastal areas in order to regulate projects like land reclamation.

The ministry’s director general for maritime, coastal and small island affairs, Sudirman Saad, said recently that the House of Representatives had passed Law No. 1/2014 on the management of coastal areas and small islands and, as such, all provinces with coastal lines were obliged to issue a bylaw.

“The bylaw is crucial for Jakarta because of its plan to reclaim land and create 17 artificial islets,” he said after a familiarization session with stakeholders.

Regarding the islet reclamation, Sudirman said the law had not prohibited the activity but implementation should be in the right zone.

“Only two projects have been approved — in Kapuk, by property developer Agung Sedayu Group, and in Ancol, by city-owned PT Pembangunan Jaya Ancol [PJA],” he said. Both projects are in North Jakarta.

The city administration can only issue principal permits for the projects while the implementation permits ware the authority of the central government.

Sudirman said before the reclamation, the contract should declare from where the reclamation material is sourced. “They must not take rubble from the dredging of other islands,” he said.

PJA is collecting suitable debris from dredging projects across the city.

Companies, Sudirman said, should include aspects such as fisherman relocation and the environmental effect of the project.

Sudirman said non-active Jakarta Governor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo had met him last year and promised that the bylaw would be finished this year.

Acting Jakarta governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama said the bylaw would take some time, adding that the administration would push its deliberation as coastal areas offered important potential.

The developers intending to build the artificial islets received the principal permits 40 years ago, however, many are now being renewed by the city administration.  (Corry Elyda)