Buildings yet to be declared safe

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Eighty percent of about 700 buildings more than eight floors high in Jakarta are yet to receive mandatory safety clearances, an official said Tuesday.

"Many building management teams are unaware of the regulation concerning the safety and appropriateness certificate ... as the regulation is relatively new," head of the Building Order and Supervision Agency, Hari Sasongko, said.

A gubernatorial decree issued in 2000 stipulates that all buildings more than eight floors high must have the clearance to ensure the safety of occupants.

However, the decree does not specify any sanctions to be handed down to those in violation of the law.

Hari said all building management teams should enlist in the help of experts to check the safety of buildings regularly.

The gubernatorial decree authorizes the Building Order and Supervision Agency to issue the certificates, which are valid for a five-year period. The certificates are issued when buildings are proven to meet official safety requirements, including the appropriateness of building installations.

Every six months building management teams are also required to report on the condition of their buildings to the agency, Hari said.

The agency recently closed down parking areas at ITC Permata Hijau and at the Carrefour branch of Ratu Plaza, both in South Jakarta, due to poor safety levels.

At ITC Permata Hijau, the agency found that the barriers on the spiral ramp in the parking lot were only made of brick, not steel frames as required.

The Ratu Plaza building management team did not provide enough power for all installations to operate in the basement area, where the Carrefour hypermart is located.

"Test results showed that only one of the installation systems could be switched on. For example, if they switched on the ventilation system, they would have to turn off the fire alarm system. This is not right," Hari said.

He said the agency had a limited number of officers, making it impossible to check all buildings in the city.

"We hope people inform us if there is anything wrong with a building in the city," he said.

However, many people have complained about the extent to which the agency allegedly abuses its power. Instead of enforcing the rules, they have been accused of extorting building owners in the past. (tif)