"As long as the terms and conditions are met, then there is no reason for the government not to proceed with this reclamation project," Johan remarked here on Wednesday.
He noted that the availability of land in Jakarta, which covers only about 662 square kilometers, will not be able to accommodate the pace of population growth.
"Jakarta's population is now more than 13 million people, and with a land area of 662 square kilometers, the city is ideally able to only accommodate 6.5 million people," Johan added.
Johan noted that Jakarta no longer has an opportunity to expand its territory because of the area's population density, and therefore, the only way to expand the land within the city is through reclamation on the north coast.
According to Johan, one purpose of the reclamation is to provide housing, related to the settlement and development of the area that will boost the economy for the city and also for the country.
"The existence of the new reclaimed area in the Bay of Jakarta will encourage economic growth, leading to the distribution of income, as well as a means of meeting the needs of recreation and other social needs," Johan went on.
Agreeing with Johan, Apindo Vice-Chairman Suryadi Sasmita remarked that implementation of the northern coast of Jakarta reclamation project can provide employment for more than 20,000 workers.
He stated that there are 167 companies that participated in the development of Jakarta Bay reclamation, and they will reduce unemployment by employing tens of thousands of workers to carry out this mega project.
Editor: Ade P Marboen
Copyright © ANTARA 2016
