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ven though a moratorium on the controversial land reclamation project in the Jakarta Bay is still in effect, the city administration has issued a right-to-use permit (HGB) to the developer of Islet D, PT Kapuk Naga Indah.

However, the HGB has little practical effect, as two bylaws on reclamation have yet to be deliberated by the City Council.

The City Council stopped deliberation of the bylaws on the North Jakarta coastal spatial plan and on the zoning plan on coastal areas and small islands last year, following a bribery case implicating councilor Mohamad Sanusi and the former president director of Agung Podomoro Land, Ariesman Widjaja. Ariesman was sentenced to three years in prison and a Rp 200 million (US$15,000) fine for the bribery attempt.

On Thursday, the North Jakarta National Land Agency (BPN) issued the HGB for Islet D to PT Kapuk Naga Indah, just three days after President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo had given the city administration a right-to-manage (HPL) permit for the islet.

At a press conference on Tuesday morning, Jakarta BPN head Muhammad Najib Taufieq said his agency had issued the permit quickly, as the President had requested.

“On [Aug. 20], the president reminded us not to slow down the process of the certificate issuance, as the certificate is the developer’s right,” Najib said, adding that the HPL permit for Islet D had been issued in July. “The President only carried out the symbolic handover of the permit last week,” he added.

Jokowi handed over 7,500 land certificates to residents in 13 municipalities and regencies in Greater Jakarta. Among the certificates, the government handed 17 certificates over to the city administration. Fifteen of them are right-to-use certificates for the city’s assets and two are HPL permits for islets C and D.

Edy Junaedi, head of the Jakarta One-stop Integrated Service (PTSP) Agency which is authorized to issue building construction permits (IMB) and other administrative requirements, said his agency would not be able to provide an IMB for PT Kapuk Naga Indah, a subsidiary of property giant Agung Sedayu Group, as long as two bylaws on reclamation had not been deliberated by the City Council.

Separately, City Council legislation body chief Abraham “Lulung” Lunggana said the council planned to continue deliberation of the bylaws in the near future, adding they were waiting for City Council speaker Prasetyo Edi Marsudi to return from the haj.