The Land For MRT Phase 2 Station In West Ancol Is Still Under Private Control

MRT melintas di kawasan Blok M (Irfan Meidianto/VOI)

JAKARTA - The DKI Provincial Government is designing phase 2 of the Integrated Moda Raya (MRT) development. This development is divided into phase 2A with the HI-City Roundabout route and phase 2B with the Kota-Ancol Barat route.

However, this development was constrained by the land in West Ancol. Because, part of the land there, the right to use the building (HGB) was sold to a Japanese company, PT Asahimas Flat Glass, even though the land use rights (HPL) for the land belonged to the DKI Provincial Government.

Chairman of Commission B DPRD DKI Abdul Aziz said that it is possible that DKI will acquire the land for the construction of the MRT Ancol West depot covering an area of 20 hectares with a value of IDR 1.5 trillion because it is still controlled by PT Asahimas.

"There must be clarity on the land. Do not let it be that after the permit is complete, we build it, it turns out that we have to pay to Asahimas because the HGB is still Asahimas' right. Why are we paying for something that is actually ours?" said Aziz when contacted, Wednesday, July 22.

"In this case, the DKI Pemprov is disadvantaged. The land actually belongs to the Pemprov, but why do you have to pay the same as a third party? That means there is a loss that should not have occurred," he added.

There are 7 HGB areas contracted to PT Asahimas and 3 other HGB belonging to DKI BUMD, namely PT Jakpro. Asahimas HGB expiration deadlines vary. The HGB ends at the earliest in 2022 and the longest ends in 2029.

Aziz hopes that DKI will not issue a useless budget for this land acquisition. He suggested that the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government should wait for PT Asahimas' partial HGB contract to expire in 2022. After that, Aziz asked DKI not to renew the contract with Asahimas so that the HGB could return to the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government.

"We encourage, if this has not been extended, it should not be extended. If we can withdraw it again, then withdraw it. We will cut it (terminate the HGB contract which ends in 2022). So, we pay for the rest, the HGB until 2029," said Aziz.

President Director of PT MRT Jakarta William Sabandar said that the return of land ownership in Ancol must be completed in an urgent time. This is because DKI must already have MRT phase 2B depot land by November this year.

This is needed as a condition for facilitating the MRT construction capital loan worth IDR 22.5 trillion with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) or the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

"We are urged to immediately obtain land certainty for the MRT depot because loans require a depot," William said.

William admits that he has no other choice to change the location of the MRT depot. In fact, he said, DKI owned land in East Ancol. However, there are a number of considerations that will be detrimental to DKI if it uses the land.

"To build a depot, you must have a square area because it requires a long track. In Ancol Timur, the land is very small and makes it difficult to maneuver the train when it gets inside. So, the effectiveness of land use is not very good," William explained.

"In terms of soil conditions, West Ancol is ready to be used by high loads because it has been 40 years. Meanwhile, East Ancol needs land improvement because it is new land and needs a consolidation process of 20-40 years," he concluded.