The head of the Jakarta Park and Cemetery Agency, Ratna Diah Kurniati, said that at first PT Jakarta Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) had expressed a wish to acquire the land for an MRT station, but failed to do so because of a financial shortfall.

She said her agency had been speeding up its effort to acquire the land, located near the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle, to turn it into a park and a place where protesters could gather.

Previously, Ahok threatened to fire Ratna for not having finalized the plans. Ahok said the agency may be purposefully delaying the purchase because of a personal interest over earning a commission from selling the land. "If by May it is still not paid for, I will fire all of you," Ahok said.

Ratna explained that her agency needed some time to figure out the background of the land and the relevant regulations so the acquisition would not violate any laws, especially concerning the status of the land: whether it still belongs to the British Embassy.

For that the Jakarta Park and Cemetery Agency must coordinate with relevant institutions like the central and regional offices of the National Land Agency (BPN), the Finance Ministry’s directorate general of taxation, the City Spatial Agency and te Foreign Ministry, Ratna added.

The park agency will also hire consultants to appraise the price of the land, for which the British Embassy is asking Rp 500 million (US$37.82 million).

"We are also waiting for a recommendation from the Foreign Ministry regarding this land acquisition," Ratna told thejakartapost.com on Thursday.

This year, the government allocated a Rp 1 trillion fund for expanding the city's green areas and open public spaces and Rp 300 billion for public cemeteries through the city budget. (bbn)

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