$28.63m collected in well fees<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The City Revenue Office collected almost Rp 67
\nbillion (US$28.63 million) last year from artesian well fees,
\nofficial reports indicate.<\/p>\n
The financial report, made available to The Jakarta Post
\nyesterday, said that the amount was more than twice the office's
\ntarget, set at Rp 31 billion last year.<\/p>\n
The head of the City Mine and Energy Agency, Arifin Akbar,
\nsaid on Thursday that not all artesian well owners had paid the
\nmonthly fees.<\/p>\n
\"There are 31 government offices, private companies and
\nindividuals who have been in arrears during the last three
\nmonths. They have not paid a total of Rp 400 million
\n(US$170,648),\" Arifin said.<\/p>\n
He said the delinquent well owners were reluctant to pay the
\nfees on the grounds that they now use tap water for their daily
\nneeds, using the groundwater when necessary on an emergency
\nbasis.<\/p>\n
Arifin said there are 3,100 artesian wells in the city owned
\nby 2,000 government offices, private companies and individuals.<\/p>\n
According to Provincial Regulation No. 4\/1994, those who
\nexploit groundwater by constructing artesian wells with a depth
\nof at least 40 meters are subject to a monthly levy.<\/p>\n
There is no fixed rate for the monthly fees to be paid by
\nartesian well owners. A hotel on Jl. MH Thamrin in Central
\nJakarta paid Rp 8.9 million for the consumption of 8,091 cubic
\nmeters of water from its artesian well last year.<\/p>\n
If the hotel had used tap water, the 8,091 cubic meters of tap
\nwater would have cost Rp 25.1 million.<\/p>\n
Arifin said that the number tends to increase each year. By
\nApril last year, there were 2,973 wells, even though the city
\nadministration had increased the fees up to 250 percent.<\/p>\n
\"The hike was aimed at discouraging people from using artesian
\nwells and to encourage them to use tap water from the city water
\ncompany. But the goal is still hard to achieve, because the tap
\nwater company (PAM Jaya) cannot supply all Jakartans with tap
\nwater,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Arifin said that Jakartans have no other choice, although
\nusing artesian wells is more expensive than using tap water.<\/p>\n
\"I hope PAM Jaya could increase its ability to serve Jakartans
\nwith tap water as soon as possible, for the sake of the
\npreservation of the groundwater,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He added, however, that the quantity of water being pumped by
\nJakartans through artesian wells is decreasing. During the
\n1994\/1995 fiscal year, Jakartans pumped a total of 35.87 million
\ncubic meters of underground water, while in the 1995\/1996 fiscal
\nperiod, they pumped only 29.6 million cubic meters.<\/p>\n
Arifin said that extensive use of groundwater is one of the
\nfactors contributing to a decrease in the city's land level, as
\nwell as sea water intrusion.<\/p>\n
Governor Surjadi Soedirdja has said that the city's
\ngroundwater potential amounts to approximately 77 million cubic
\nmeters per year, enough to support rising water demands for the
\nnext 10 years.<\/p>\n
The sustainable utilization limit of existing water sources is
\nestimated at 42 million cubic meters per annum.<\/p>\n
Out of the 77 million cubic meters, 40 million are derived
\nfrom rain seeping into the ground, with the other 37 million
\ncoming from the Puncak hilly area south of the city, he said.<\/p>\n
Surjadi said that based on geological data, rainwater levels
\nin the city reach about 300 million cubic meters annually, of
\nwhich 260 million cubic meters seep into the upper level of the
\nground, with the other 40 million cubic meters being absorbed at
\ngreater depths. (yns)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/2863m-collected-in-well-fees-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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