Activist says councillors plan overseas trips<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): City councillors are again planning to travel
\noverseas -- this time to Japan and Argentina -- to engage in
\ncomparative studies in disaster and garbage management, following
\ntheir controversial trip to Los Angeles last month, an activist
\nsaid on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Muhammad Taufik from the Jakarta Study Center (PPJ) told
\nreporters that councillors of Commission A for administrative and
\nlegal affairs will conduct a comparative study on disaster
\nmanagement in Tokyo, while those of Commission D for development
\naffairs will go to Buenos Aires for a comparative study on the
\nmanagement of garbage.<\/p>\n
A source in the City Council confirmed Taufik's statement,
\nsaying that some councillors from Commission A would depart on
\nAug. 10 and their colleagues from Commission D on Aug. 19.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Abdul Aziz Matnur, a member of Commission A, when
\ncontacted over the phone by The Jakarta Post at first said that
\nhe did not know about the trip to Tokyo.<\/p>\n
He later admitted that Commission A planned to visit Tokyo to
\nstudy the country's approach to disaster management.<\/p>\n
He said that it was important to set up a disaster management
\nplan for the city as suggested by the Agency for the Study and
\nApplication of Technology (BPPT).<\/p>\n
BPPT together with the City Council, conducted a research into
\ndisasters in the city.<\/p>\n
The expert, according to Abdul, recommended that the
\ncouncillors visit Tokyo as a model of a city which has succeeded
\nin its management of disaster.<\/p>\n
Abdul stressed that it was mandatory for the city to develop a
\ndisaster management strategy, with the understanding that the
\nterm \"disaster\" covered social conflicts such as riots and
\nstudent' brawls, which are a common occurrence in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Councillors from Commission D were not available for comment
\nregarding the planned trip to Argentina.<\/p>\n
Earlier reports said that Jakarta produced 25,000 cubic meters
\nof garbage, but 2,000 cubic meters could not be transported to
\nthe city's garbage dump in Bantar Gebang, Bekasi, due to the
\nshortage of garbage trucks.<\/p>\n
The City Council reportedly has allocated Rp 6 billion (US$
\n600 million) to finance foreign trips by the councillors this
\nyear.<\/p>\n
Several foreign trips have been made by the city councillors
\ndespite criticism from the public that the trips were a waste of
\ntax payers' money.<\/p>\n
Last month, as many as 15 members of Commission C for
\nbudgetary financial affairs went to Los Angeles for a comparative
\nstudy on taxes.<\/p>\n
Previously, the councillors from Commission E for social
\nwelfare had earlier visited Mexico City in Mexico for a
\ncomparative study on education and social welfare.<\/p>\n
Reports also said that some councillors from Commission B
\nplanned to conduct a comparative study in Paris. (04)<\/p>",
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