Solo (ANTARA News) - The Solo city administration has since early this year received 19 applications for new permits to build star-rated hotels worth trillions of rupiahs, its mayor said.

"I don`t know the exact amount of the investment. But in total, the investment may reach trillions of rupiahs. One of the hotels to be built will be a five-star hotel consisting of 25 floors. We only allow investors to build at least two-star hotels in Solo," Joko Widodo said here on Tuesday.

He said the city administration had issued building construction permits to 17 of the 19 investors, while the other two investors still had to complete their applications.

"So the two investors` applications for new permits are not rejected but they still lack requirements. We are waiting for the investors to complete the applications soon," he said.

He said the investors who had secured building construction permits would start constructing the hotels in 2012. "True, we have asked them to build the hotels shortly after receiving the building construction permits," he said.

He expressed hope the construction of the new hotels would boost the economies of the city and environs. "We are convinced that the presence of the hotels will increase money supply in Solo and give greater benefit to all layers of the community than the presence of a mall," he said.

He said since he was elected Solo mayor he had only issued a permit for the construction of a mall. The mall was related to the construction of apartment. "It is not me but my predecessor who issued permits for the construction of the existing malls," he said.
(Uu.S012/H-NG/H-YH)

Editor: Luki Satrio
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