Court orders suspension of 2003 water rate hike<\/p>\n
Urip Hudiono, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Central Jakarta District Court ruled on Thursday that the
\ncity administration would suspend last year's water rate hike
\nindefinitely in its verdict on a class action suit filed by the
\nJakarta Tap Water Consumers Community (Komparta).<\/p>\n
"The governor and the City Council, as the defendants, must
\nsuspend their April 2003 water rate hike until they can provide
\nbetter services and proper information to the customers about the
\nhike," said presiding judge Andriani Nurdin.<\/p>\n
The class action suit was filed last March by Komparta,
\nrepresenting about 200,000 tap water customers. In its suit, it
\ndemanded the city administration cancel its 40 percent hike in
\nwater fees.<\/p>\n
Commenting on the verdict, the defendants' legal counselor M.
\nNatsir said that his clients would consider the verdict first.<\/p>\n
"We still have two weeks to respond," he said.<\/p>\n
Legal counselor for the plaintiffs, J.J. Armstrong Sembiring,
\nexpressed satisfaction with the verdict although the panel of
\njudges did not accommodate his side's primary demand of a total
\nrevocation of the hike.<\/p>\n
"We consider the verdict a successful stepping stone in
\ndefending the people's rights for a premium and more just public
\nservice," he said.<\/p>\n
Sembiring also said that his side would immediately notify the
\ngovernor's office and the City Council's Commission D on
\ndevelopment affairs about the verdict and press them to comply
\nwith it, including suspending this month's 30 percent water rate
\nhike which, according to him, was affected by the verdict.<\/p>\n
However, the plaintiff's feelings toward the verdict were
\nambivalent because although they won the case in the lower court,
\nthe defendants are likely to file an appeal.<\/p>\n
"There's somewhat a halfhearted enthusiasm about this verdict.
\nOf course we welcome it but we are also unsure of its
\neffectiveness," said Hudi Yusuf, the plaintiff's spokesman.<\/p>",
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