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Agency refuses to cancel building permits on recalimed islets
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Agrarian and Spatial Planning Minister Sofyan Djalil. (The Jakarta Post/wienda parwitasari)
T
he National Land Agency (BPN) has refused the demand made by Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan to cancel all building-use permits (HGBs) issued for buildings on the controversial man-made islets of C, D and G in Jakarta Bay.
BPN head and Agrarian and Spatial Minister Sofyan Djalil said in Jakarta on Wednesday that he could not cancel the permits because the issuance was legal based on the Agrarian Law. "If we cancel the permits, the people will file a complaint," Sofyan said.
Instead, Sofyan called on the Jakarta administration to file a lawsuit to the court if it did not agree with the BPN’s decision. He said if the court ordered the agency to cancel the permits, he would respect the court's decision.
On Dec. 29, the Jakarta administration sent a letter to Sofyan, requesting that all building-use permits granted to third parties on the three islets be canceled. The administration said that it was conducting a thorough evaluation of the project and that the initial review had shown the policy's negative impact because of alleged procedural errors in the project.
BPN issued the HGUs in August 2017, when the Jakarta administration was under the transitional leadership of then-governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat before Anies, who won the election, took over.
During the election campaign, Anies and Jakarta Deputy Governor Sandiaga Uno told voters they would end the reclamation project. (bbn)
