Former governors tell administration to improve services<\/p>\n
Damar Harsanto, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Former Jakarta governors called on the city administration to
\nimprove services in the capital on Tuesday by reducing red tape,
\ncutting paperwork, enforcing discipline and developing
\ninfrastructure.<\/p>\n
Surjadi Soedirdja, who served as governor from 1992 to 1997,
\nsaid that a thorough improvement in services was needed to make
\nJakarta a competitive service city in the region.<\/p>\n
\"One of the most important things is Jakartans hospitality,
\nespecially for those in the bureaucracy. Bureaucrats must serve
\nthe public so that Jakartans gain better access to services from
\nthe administration by reducing lengthy procedures,\" he told
\nreporters on the sidelines of a special general meeting to
\ncelebrate the city's 477th anniversary at City Hall.<\/p>\n
Also present in the meeting were Ali Sadikin, who was governor
\nbetween 1966 and 1977, and Soeprapto, who served from 1982 to
\n1987.<\/p>\n
Surjadi criticized the administration's red tape and lengthy
\npaperwork which frustrated residents.<\/p>\n
Critics have addressed the issue of the cumbersome
\nbureaucracy, which has made the city less attractive to
\ninvestors, resulting in a high-cost economy due to many illegal
\nfees imposed on business enterprises.<\/p>\n
\"Jakarta is in dire need of improvement as the country's
\ncapital, which also hosts cultural and economic activities,\"
\nSurjadi added.<\/p>\n
Soeprapto underlined the importance of enforcing discipline in
\nthe city. \"It's urgent and important to enforce discipline
\ncitywide.\"<\/p>\n
He criticized the people's lack of awareness of discipline
\nthat has created a chaos on the roads, not to mention the
\nmushrooming slums along riverbanks and on vacant land.<\/p>\n
Soeprapto welcomed incumbent Governor Sutiyoso's move to solve
\ntraffic woes in the capital through the construction of an
\nintegrated transportation system.<\/p>\n
\"Just like other residents, I hope Jakarta becomes more humane
\nand the administration manages to maintain security, comfort and
\npeace. The city should become a role model for other big cities
\ncountrywide,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The most outspoken governor Ali Sadikin, meanwhile, repeated
\nhis idea on the establishment of a special coordinating ministry
\nfor Greater Jakarta to help solve problems involving
\nadministrations in areas bordering the capital.<\/p>\n
\"I have been proposing the idea for decades, but the central
\ngovernment stubbornly resists it,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Ali -- who was known for his innovative policies, including
\nlegalizing gambling in Jakarta to raise city revenue -- argued
\nthat the ministry was necessary, as the authority of the Jakarta
\ngovernor would only cover the city, while the ministry would
\noversee the development of areas surrounding the capital.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/former-governors-tell-administration-to-improve-services-1447893297",
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