T

he Jakarta Legislative Council endorsed the city's Mid-Term Regional Development Plan (RPJMD) for 2013 to 2017, clearing the way for work to start on four infrastructure megaprojects: a mass rapid transit (MRT) system, a monorail, a sea wall and a tunnel.

'The projects were OK'd and were already stipulated in the RPJPD and RTRW that we endorsed last year,' Jakarta Legislation Body (Balegda) head Triwisaksana told reporters after a plenary session at the council building on Tuesday.

Triwisaksana was referring to the city's Long-Term Regional Development Plan (RPJPD) for 2005 to 2025 and its spatial planning bylaw (RTRW) for 2010 to 2030.

'We have no inquiries. Please, the city administration can go on with its programs. The implementation of the programs is now in the hands of the governor,' Triwisaksana said.

The local legislator also said that the council had no intentions to block Jakarta Governor Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo's initiatives.

'I have to emphasize that there has been a misapprehension on behalf of the governor. We were only asking for explanations of several unclear points. There was no intention to stand in his way,' Triwisaksana said.

Deputy Governor Basuki 'Ahok' Tjahaja Purnama said on Tuesday that the administration appreciated the endorsement of the RPJMD, adding that officials were ready to get to work.

'Our priority is actually to build affordable apartments on a 700-hectare plot in Marunda [North Jakarta] because it is located near an industrial area,' the deputy governor said. 'Establishing 17 islands off the North Jakarta coast is also among our priority programs.'

The creation of the landfill islands was first proposed by Jokowi's immediate predecessor, Fauzi Bowo, as the first step in building a giant sea wall.

Ahok said that the administration would act on the green light given to the MRT project. 'Now we should just get on with it.'

The first phase of the MRT project will be work on the route connecting Lebak Bulus, South Jakarta, and the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta.

The project will be partially funded by a ¥125 billion (US$1.27 billion) soft loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The administration and city-owned PT MRT Jakarta previously said that they would announce the winner of the tender for the MRT system this week.

The administration has also planned to revive its long-stalled monorail project this year, as consortium PT Jakarta Monorail is set to resume work.

PT Jakarta Monorail is proposing to build two lines: The first, with 16 stations, would extend 14.27 kilometers from Jakarta Police headquarters to the Satriamandala military museum in South Jakarta; and a second, that would stretch 9.72 kilometers from Kampung Melayu, East Jakarta, to Roxy, West Jakarta, with 11 stations.

Among programs also approved in the RPJMD are plans to build six new elevated toll roads, a Rp 42 trillion (US$4.3 billion) project that has been opposed by several urban planning experts.

Ahok said that the city administration was not obliged to carry out the toll road project, despite the approvals contained in the RPJMD.

The RPJMD was a long standing plan, according to the deputy governor. 'We may not continue with it as we will have to consider many aspects.'