JICA Threatens to Cancel Assistance Worth Rp159 Billion

Manado, N Sulawesi (Antara) - The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has threatened to cancel its assistance worth Rp159 billion for the revitalization of a river basin area in Manado, North Sulawesi, Manado Mayor Vicky Lumentut has said. \"JICA has notified its plan to cancel the assistance as the local government is not yet able to clear land in the river basin areas (DAS) that will be revitalized with the assistance,\" the mayor said on Wednesday. Vicky said JICA had asked that the land that would be revitalized in the river bank areas of Tondano should be cleared at the end of 2014 at the latest. However, until the end of the year, the land clearance had not yet been done because of complicated procedures at the National Land Management Agency (BPN). \"We have asked the BPN as the competent agency on land administration to do its job well in clearing land. We hope it will finish all administration processes so that revitalization project with a total value of Rp700 billion could be carried out,\" the mayor said. He said that funds for the land clearance had been set in a budget since last year by the Manado\'s public works\' service. Vicky said there were differences of opinions on the legal basis with regard the land clearance that caused the failure of the land to be cleared last year. The mayor said that the land clearance was based on Presidential Regulation No.71/2012 and Presidential Regulation No.40/2014. He said his side has urged the BPN to finish the administration of the land clearance so that the JICA project of the river bank areas which stretches 7.2 km long could be revitalized.(*)