Urbanization creates new problems for Jakarta<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government-sponsored family planning program
\nhas helped develop the city's economy and reduce population
\ngrowth, but the influx of migrants from rural areas has created
\nnew problems, the governor said.<\/p>\n
"The city's family planning program has prevented around
\n4,000,000 births in the last 26 years, Governor Surjadi Soedirdja
\nsaid yesterday after the city's annual workshop on family
\nplanning.<\/p>\n
He said that without the program, Jakarta's population
\ncould have reached 14,279,072 million instead of its current
\n10,215,762.<\/p>\n
Surjadi said the program had succeeded in lowering government
\nexpenditure on education, health, employment and security, so now
\nthe city could focus on improving the lives of the less
\nfortunate.<\/p>\n
"We have developed a life improvement program which so far has
\ngathered in around 77,400 families," he said. The program has
\ntwo functions it helps families save money, and it loans other
\nfamilies money for their businesses.<\/p>\n
The first program had helped families save Rp 630 million
\n(US$259,924).<\/p>\n
The second program had helped some 28,700 families with small
\nbusinesses borrow Rp 620 million.<\/p>\n
As an adjunct to the government project universities should
\ngive training to small family businesses to improve their
\nmanagement and business skills, Surjadi said.<\/p>\n
"Theoretically, it sounds easy to implement, but the
\ngovernment still has to supervise them," he said.<\/p>\n
Surjadi said that despite the success story, the city had yet
\nto cope with the new problems arising from urbanization.<\/p>\n
"Urbanization has become a major dilemma in Jakarta. The
\neconomic development has encouraged rural people to migrate to
\nthe capital."<\/p>\n
Surjadi earlier said that some 400,000 people in Jakarta, or
\n11.7 percent of the labor force, were jobless and the increase in
\nlow-skilled workers had made unemployment a constant problem.<\/p>\n
"The migration of the poor will always pose problems for the
\nmunicipality and this will remain so in the coming years," he
\nsaid. He said the private sector and government officials needed
\nto cooperate to reduce urbanization problems."<\/p>\n
"I call on city officials, and mayors outside Jakarta, to
\nimprove the economy of their territories," he said.<\/p>\n
Such an undertaking would prevent migration to Jakarta. (10)<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/urbanization-creates-new-problems-for-jakarta-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }