Sutiyoso and garbage<\/p>\n
As many of us know, the main problems that constantly bedevil
\nour capital city, Jakarta, are its transportation system,
\nflooding and garbage disposal. Unfortunately, the city
\nadministration and bureaucracy have never come up with any
\nworkable solutions to these problems, allowing them instead to
\ngrow and develop into a time bomb that could explode at any
\nmoment.<\/p>\n
The teeming city of Jakarta produces an estimated 23,400 cubic
\nmeters of garbage per day. However, the city sanitation office
\ncan dispose of only 14,700 cubic meters of it at the dump. This
\nmeans that some 8,700 cubic meters of garbage is left lying
\naround, which means that in the space of one month, at least
\n260,000 cubic meters of garbage is left scattered about the city.
\nNeedless to say, this poses a very serious problem.<\/p>\n
To be fair, the business of garbage disposal has never been
\nwell organized in Jakarta, and finding a suitable place to serve
\nas a final dumpsite further complicates the problem. On the other
\nhand, officials seem quite adept at finding excuses. Governor
\nSutiyoso, for example, says that the administration lacks trucks
\nand personnel to carry the garbage. Ideally, the city needs 1,200
\ntrucks and 15,000 personnel for the job. In reality, however,
\nonly 700 trucks are available and 3,000 people work for the
\nsanitation agency.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso has given no specific explanation as to why the city
\nadministration has only 700 trucks and 3,000 personnel to dispose
\nof the garbage produced in the five municipalities. But if money
\nis the main problem, we suggest that the governor take another
\nlook at the proposed city budget now being considered by the
\nCouncil. In the 2003 proposed budget, submitted by Sutiyoso to
\nthe Council several days ago, the administration proposes to
\nspend Rp 214 billion-plus on the improvement of sanitation
\nservices, including the purchase of new garbage trucks.<\/p>\n
Ironically, the budget also proposes annual allowances
\namounting to almost Rp 9.8 billion for the governor. Just to
\nmention one of the items on the list: Rp 65 million for
\nSutiyoso's attire. With that money Sutiyoso could buy himself
\nmore than 65 uniforms, or some 30 business suits made from good-
\nquality material. Two other astonishing allowances are for
\nnewspapers and magazines, amounting to a total of Rp 90 million,
\nplus another Rp 90 million for coffee. It is difficult to imagine
\nwhat kind and how many magazines and newspapers Sutiyoso
\nsubscribes to, and how many cups of coffee he consumes in a year.<\/p>\n
The Rp 887 million set aside for \"operational costs\" and
\npreparation of his official speeches also seems most irrational.
\nThe governor is also free to use Rp 100 million allocated for his
\nannual health care, whether or not he or his wife become ill.<\/p>\n
The money has yet to be cashed, but the point is that, with
\nsuch a generous allowance, the city officials are demonstrating
\ntheir total lack of a sense of crisis. City Hall officials in
\ncharge of the budget said that the governor deserved the money.
\nWhether or not it is used is a different matter. Criticism of the
\nproposed budget has already been voiced by several parties,
\nincluding non-governmental organizations.<\/p>\n
Responding to such criticism, Sutiyoso said that he would
\npropose that the Council cancel the allowances and use the money
\nto help the public instead. Hopefully, this is not merely an
\nempty promise to gain more popularity or to build his image.
\nSutiyoso must prove the sincerity of his commitment to make the
\ncity more orderly and clean. He could write an official letter
\ntransferring some of the money, for example for the purchase of
\nnew garbage trucks, which cost around Rp 200 million each. The
\ngovernor must initiate such a charitable move as it is
\nunreasonable to expect his subordinates to do this. He could
\nsimply issue official letters authorizing his subordinates to
\ntransfer those of his allowances that he considers excessive to
\ngarbage management activities, including the purchase of trucks.<\/p>\n
As the city administration has yet to initiate a single
\nprogram to bid for more money to improve garbage handling,
\nSutiyoso's declaration, that he is willing to sacrifice at least
\npart of his allowances in the public interest, should be made
\ngood. Even just one truck per year bought with the money would be
\na significant contribution to Jakarta. During the governor's
\nfive-year term in office, the city administration would be able
\nto add five new garbage trucks to its fleet. But this would only
\nhappen if Sutiyoso were sincere in his statement. As for now,
\nlet's just wait and see.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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