`I strongly disagree with water price hike'<\/p>\n
The city-owned water utility, PT Pam Jaya, signed a partnership
\nagreement in 1998 with the local subsidiaries of two European
\nwater companies, PT Thames Pam Jaya of Britain and PT Pam
\nLyonnaise Jaya of France. However, the two foreign investors have
\nthreatened to pull out if the City Council rejects a rise in
\nwater charges. The Jakarta Post asked residents to comment on the
\nissue.<\/p>\n
Yanto, 65, is a vendor selling soft drinks and mineral water
\nin Senayan, Central Jakarta. He resides in Depok, West Java, with
\nhis wife and seven children:<\/p>\n
I don't agree with the city-owned water utility continuing to
\ncollaborate with the foreign investors.<\/p>\n
If the city administration is serious in properly managing
\ndrinking water and its distribution, there would be no need to
\ncollaborate with the overseas partners.<\/p>\n
It is not that difficult to process raw water into potable tap
\nwater. I worked with the city water utility for ten years so I
\nknow the processes involved.<\/p>\n
I think these collaborative ventures do nothing to guarantee
\nimprovements in service given that the rate of water leakage is
\nstill so high.<\/p>\n
I presume that the poor service is the result of the corrupt
\nmentality of the management. The managers only think of how to
\nmake as much profit as possible for themselves. The public's
\nright to get clean water is always ignored.<\/p>\n
I reckon that actually our country has plenty of people who
\nare capable of properly running the company.<\/p>\n
I wonder why the city administration want's to depend on these
\ncollaborative ventures with overseas partners for managing the
\ntap water supply.<\/p>\n
Such joint management tends to burden rather than benefit the
\npublic. We see how often they demand rises in water charges.
\nWorse still, there has been no significant improvement in
\nservices.<\/p>\n
Therefore, I prefer to use a water pump for my daily water
\nneeds even though I'm also connected to the water mains. But, I
\ncannot rely on the tap water due to its poor quality and the
\nirregular supply.<\/p>\n
Cindy, 29, is an employee with a private company in South
\nJakarta. She resides in Matraman, East Jakarta, with her family:<\/p>\n
I reckon that the supply of tap water is very poor as the
\nwater pressure is often terrible. Worse still, sometimes the
\nwater is dirty.<\/p>\n
Frankly, I can't rely fully on the city-owned firm's water for
\nour daily needs. So, my family prefers to depend on the good,
\nold-fashioned water pump.<\/p>\n
My other house in Puri Indah, West Jakarta, also has the same
\nproblems with the water supply.<\/p>\n
I don't bother complaining about the problem as it would be to
\nno avail. Usually, we got no quick response to the problem. So,
\nI'm tired wasting my energy complaining about it.<\/p>\n
I disagree with the collaborative ventures between the city-
\nowned water company and its foreign partners.<\/p>\n
These ventures have not improved the service at all but have
\ninstead burdened the public.<\/p>\n
If there are no benefits, why should the city administration
\nshould continue these agreements. I wonder why it is always the
\npublic that has to pay for poor management.<\/p>\n
I totally disagree with the city governor's plan to raise
\nwater charges in the near future as this won't improve the
\nservice.<\/p>\n
As a customer, I have never been satisfied with the service
\nprovided by the tap water companies.<\/p>\n
Maria, 27, is an employee of a private English school in South
\nJakarta. She resides in Cengkareng, West Jakarta, with her
\nfamily:<\/p>\n
I don't know what to say about the service provided by the
\ncity-owned tap water company. Honestly speaking, it's still far
\nfrom satisfactory.<\/p>\n
I hate to say it, but my water supply is regularly cut off for
\nquite long periods. Of course, they never give any notice
\nbeforehand.<\/p>\n
Worse still, when the water is flowing, it is very dirty,
\nparticularly during the wet season like now.<\/p>\n
If the service remains poor, then I wonder what is the benefit
\nof the collaborative ventures with the foreign partners.<\/p>\n
Many customers like me hoped these ventures would lead to far
\nbetter services, stronger finances and reliable tap water
\nsupplies. But in fact, we were obviously expecting too much. We
\nhave been constantly disappointed with the services provided by
\nthe city-owned water company.<\/p>\n
Besides, I also wonder how these ventures have led to the big
\ndebts the company has built up. Of course, the public will be
\ncalled upon to repay the city administration's debts so as to
\ncover the cost of mismanagement and leakage.<\/p>\n
Thus, it is pointless to continue with these collaborative
\nventures. I also strongly disagree with a rise in water charges.
\nThe public shouldn't be always victimized.<\/p>\n
-- Leo Wahyudi S.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/i-strongly-disagree-with-water-price-hike-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }