Tenants face Rp 411m water bills<\/p>\n
Zakki Hakim, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
About 6,000 tenants in low-cost apartments in Klender, East
\nJakarta, face the likelihood of being without water unless the
\ncompany that manages the apartments pays Rp 411 million
\n(US$47,400) in outstanding water bills within 30 days.<\/p>\n
The tenants said they were surprised to learn that water
\noperator PT Thames PAM Jaya (TPJ) had not received their payments
\nas they had paid the money to the apartments' agent, who was
\nsupposed to deliver the cash to the company.<\/p>\n
Negotiations between tenants and TPJ, however, have not
\nproduced results, and the residents may have to pay the arrears
\nto TPJ themselves instead of the agent.<\/p>\n
TPJ, the water supplier to the apartments, announced on
\nWednesday that it would turn off the water supply to the
\napartments next month if the agent, PPRSK, failed to settle the
\ndebt, which has been outstanding since August 2000.<\/p>\n
Berton Tobing, a 50-year-old apartment resident, told The
\nJakarta Post on Thursday that he always paid his water bills to
\nPPRSK on time, and was concerned about TPJ's ultimatum.<\/p>\n
\"It is not our fault, we always pay our bills on time. Why
\nshould we be punished?\" he said.<\/p>\n
Mia Korompis, a TPJ spokeswoman, told the Post that her
\ncompany realized that making the residents take the
\nresponsibility would not be fair, because the party responsible
\nwas PPRSK, which had not appeared serious about paying the
\narrears.<\/p>\n
According to her, TPJ had evidence that PPRSK had been
\ninvoicing residents at significantly higher rates for their water
\nconsumption, but had failed to deliver the payment to TPJ.<\/p>\n
Technically, the Klender apartments are classified as being on
\none \"big meter\", and therefore TPJ cannot charge the residents
\nindividually, but only through PPRSK, which is supposed to
\nforward the tenants' payments to the company, she said.<\/p>\n
\"Our action may cause inconvenience to the tenants, but we are
\nleft with no workable solution,\" she said.<\/p>\n
She said that TPJ hoped the ultimatum would prompt the tenants
\nto put pressure on PPRSK to take responsibility.<\/p>\n
She also suggested that the tenants had the option of
\nreporting PPRSK to the police and taking the matter to court.<\/p>\n
Either way, she said, a slight clarification of possible
\nsettlements in the case would be enough to forestall
\ndisconnection, considering the goodwill displayed by the tenants.<\/p>\n
Nur, a PPRSK administrator, denied that his party had any
\noutstanding debts with TPJ and claimed that the money collected
\nwas not owed to TPJ, but was used to maintain the water supply
\ninfrastructure and none of the money went to either him or his
\ncolleagues as individuals.<\/p>\n
\"Before August 2000, TPJ collected money directly from the
\ntenants, but irregularities occurred and a big chunk amounting to
\nRp 520 million was PPRSK's right,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Korompis said that from April 1998 to August 2000, TPJ did
\ncollect payments directly and charged tenants at the regular
\nhousehold rate of about Rp 1,300 per cubic meter. After August
\n2000, payments were collected through PPRSK, and a lower rate of
\nRp 375 per cubic meter for low-cost housing was charged.<\/p>\n
\"I presumed PPRSK is claiming the difference between the
\nregular rate and the lower rate within that period,\" she said.<\/p>\n
TPJ has a 25-year partnership contract with PAM Jaya to
\noperate, maintain and improve the water distribution system in
\neastern Jakarta.<\/p>\n
TPJ and other water operators in Jakarta have been criticized
\nfor increasing water rates, and they have been advised to focus
\non reducing water leakages and other losses in order to curb high
\noperational costs rather than burdening customers with rate
\nincreases.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/tenants-face-rp-411m-water-bills-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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