Council to establish team to study PDAM water deal<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The City Council agreed on Wednesday to
\nestablish a new team to conduct an in-depth study into the water
\ndeal between city-owned water firm PDAM Jaya and its two foreign
\npartners.<\/p>\n
Council speaker Edy Waluyo said the team, replacing the
\nprevious one, would consist of newly elected councilors from
\nCommission A for administrative affairs, Commission C for city
\nrevenue and Commission D for development affairs, he said.<\/p>\n
He gave no details on any figures or the deadline for the
\nteam. Edy assured the 15 representatives of the PDAM Jaya workers
\nunion, whose members have repeatedly complained about the water
\ndeal, that the new team would be able to solve the prolonged
\nconflict among the parties fairly and quickly.<\/p>\n
\"We promised that the problem would be solved,\" Edy told the
\nunion's representatives, who visited the councilors together with
\nsome 150 others to demand a cancellation of the deal with the
\nforeign partners.<\/p>\n
Edy said the outcome of the team's work could be in the form
\nof a cancellation of the water management agreement or a
\nrenegotiation of it.<\/p>\n
\"It will totally depend on the results of the team's study,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Edy explained that the previous team who worked on a similar
\nmission, led by former councilors Ali Wongso Sinaga and Wien
\nRitola, was not completed as they had to leave their posts in
\nAugust.<\/p>\n
After working for about a year, the team yielded no
\nsignificant results, he said.<\/p>\n
During the meeting, union chairman Amir Tanjung also demanded
\nthe councilors to put some of their colleagues on the list of
\nteam members.<\/p>\n
The request, however, was rejected by the councilors.<\/p>\n
Councilor Syamsuardi Botan of Commission A said the team
\nshould only consist of councilors to make it objective.<\/p>\n
\"We don't want to be used by workers,\" Syamsuardi said.<\/p>\n
The visiting workers seemed dissatisfied with the result but
\nleft peacefully later.<\/p>\n
Amir said the workers visited the council since its
\nprovisional leader, Supangat, recently promised to cancel the
\nwater deal in September.<\/p>\n
\"We're here again to remind the councilors of their promise.
\nPak Edy also once promised that the matter would be solved in
\nJuly but until now there has been no solution,\" Amir said.<\/p>\n
The workers frequently staged demonstrations and visited the
\ncouncil to demand the cancellation of the water deal, which they
\nclaimed was full of indications of corruption and collusion.<\/p>\n
Last month, the workers \"occupied\" a logistics office of PDAM
\nJaya in Pejompongan, Central Jakarta. The action, however, was
\nstrongly criticized by many, including Governor Sutiyoso and
\nseveral city councilors.<\/p>\n
Amir said on Wednesday that the action was merely aimed at
\nattracting public attention to the dispute, instead of committing
\n\"a crime\" as some accused.<\/p>\n
The water management agreement, signed in February with PT
\nThames Pam Jaya (TPJ) and Pam Lyonnaise Jaya (Palyja), has been
\nlong protested by the workers, who claim to have suffered a
\nsignificant drop in monthly income.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso repeatedly said he would not cancel the water deal in
\norder to avoid a lawsuit from the foreign parties. (jun)<\/p>",
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