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Govt to continue reclamation project despite court ruling
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An aerial photo shows one of the islets of the reclamation project in Jakarta Bay on July 23. (Antara Foto/Aditya Pradana Putra)
T
he government has given a green light to the controversial reclamation project of Islet G in Jakarta Bay to resume despite the ruling of the Jakarta State Administrative Court (PTUN) that had ordered a halt to any construction activities on the artificial island.
Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan and Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, along with representatives from the Environment and Forestry Ministry, held a meeting on Tuesday on the reclamation project at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry where Luhut serves as an acting minister.
"There was no problem with the PTUN's ruling because it was not yet final and binding," he told journalists on Tuesday after the meeting.
In a court ruling issued on June 31 in favor of local fishermen in Jakarta Bay, the PTUN ordered the developer of Islet G, Muara Wisesa Samudra, a subsidiary of property giant Agung Podomoro Land, to halt its reclamation activities because of the environmental damage and social impacts it was causing, as well as its lack of legal standing. The court also ordered Ahok to revoke the city’s permit for the development, issued in December 2014.
Furthermore, Luhut said that the government would make a detailed announcement on the issue on Thursday. Tuesday's meeting had several changes in the schedule. Luhut and Ahok were first scheduled to hold a 1 p.m. meeting, but then postponed it to 5:30 p.m and moved it to Luhut's office before announcing that the meeting was again postponed. The meeting proceeded at 7:30 p.m. and was moved to the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry office.
Previously in the State Palace, Luhut said the decision was taken after conducting thorough studies on the project. The government would also prioritize the welfare and livelihood of as many as 24,000 local fishermen in Jakarta Bay in accordance with the order of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.
"Don't say that we will not take care of the fishermen. We will even provide them [with better facilities] with funds from the local administration and from the reclamation projects," Luhut said at the State Palace prior to his meeting with Ahok, adding that he urged the public not to politicize the issue.
The previous coordinating maritime affairs minister, Rizal Ramli, announced in June that the developer of Islet G had committed gross violations as the construction of the artificial island was taking place on top of underwater electricity cables and in shipping lanes. Thus, the government decided the developer should halt the construction, as it would also contribute to environmental damage and disturb vital strategic projects and ship traffic. (rin)
