Revitalization of Old Buildings in the Old City Areas

Jakarta is a dynamic city and shows its ever-increasing development. However, latent problems caused by traffic jam, floods and sidewalk traders seemingly to persist. On top of tackling those problems, the city government has a plan to promote the old area to become a tourist destination but only partially successful.

The old city which becomes the target of those promotions covering parts of North and West Jakarta. The old buildings inside the area have been treated as persevered monuments and any renovation of them must receive a special permit from local government to preserve the architecture of the buildings. 

What happens is that the owners of the buildings don’t have the same spirit as the city government to promote the area. Most of the owners cannot properly make use of the buildings considering their strategic location. They even neglect the maintenance of the buildings letting them untouched as such that give a shabby impression.

It seems that the owners do not even have the attention to painting the walls of their buildings and the city government never calls for them to do so. This is very disappointing considering that even in the relatively poor areas such as in the regencies and villages outside Jakarta the authorities used to ask their communities to paint the walls of their homes, for example, in the occasion of celebrating the Independence Day.

Special attention has to be given to the old dwellings of two-story houses which the second floor used as family living rooms and the first one as a store. The merchandise or food sales sometimes are equal to what street vendors have. Such a condition certainly tarnishes the city appearance which is contrary to the city planners.  

A big question is naturally raised. How come that the owners of the shops and the unmaintained old buildings could pay an exorbitant land and building tax (PBB) where the price of land is more than Rp 20 million (around US$2000) per square meter? The fact that many owners have moved to real estates in the skirt of Jakarta and don’t properly pay taxes for their old negligent properties. 

The city government should be more rigorous to impose the city residents to fulfill their obligations. The owners should be obedient to pay tax according to the high value of their properties amid their bad appearance. For those who want to maintain their properties within such areas, should renovate their buildings and pay the tax.

For those who are unable or do not want to pay the cumulative unpaid taxes for years should release their properties to the third parties or the city government if they are interested. The buildings could be renovated or demolished to widen the roads or to build open areas or recreation centers.

Under such determination, it is hoped that the city government could implement their plan to make the old city center become a tourist destination.