TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Jakarta administration defends that compensating the losses endured by victims of new year’s day flash floods is no easy task, especially the demands from retailers.

Responding to retailers’ requests for tax reductions as a means of compensation, Jakarta administration’s secretary Syaefullah responded to the community’s demands by asking again where the compensation would be sourced from.

“Compensation how? There is this thing called nomenclature in the regional budget (APBD). It means there are preceding numbers. How could we issue compensations for something that is not included in the APBD?” said Syaefullah at City Hall on Tuesday.

Not only is the budget nonexistent, but he also claims he has yet received the formal request from retailers’ associations affected by the floods and asserts that only from that the government can discuss further possibilities.

In terms of pressure arising to screen and review Jakarta’s shopping malls’ permits, he said that licensing documents will be reviewed and will uphold the region’s spatial regulations. “We will enforce the rules if we find there are malls that do not correspond with their permits.”

Previously, the Indonesian Shopping Center Tenant Association (HIPPINDO) demanded compensation to the Jakarta administration for the losses its members endured in the new year’s day flash floods.

ANTARA