Water bill needs more debate: Activist<\/p>\n
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A foreign activist has encouraged Indonesians to continue
\ndebating privatization and other issues concerning the bill on
\nwater resources, saying that people must have full control over
\nthe use of water resources.<\/p>\n
Samir Dossani of the Philippines said recently that a thorough
\ndebate within Indonesia was a must because water involved the
\ninterests of every Indonesian.<\/p>\n
There is no doubt, he said, that water services in Indonesia
\nwere poor and, therefore, must be improved.<\/p>\n
\"Privatization should not be ruled out completely, but
\nwhatever method is chosen by Indonesians must be backed up by
\nevidence. Indonesia must start out on the goal of providing
\naffordable water for all, especially the poorest people,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Dossani said the bill on water resources failed to give the
\npeople control over water resources. Instead, the bill opened the
\ndoor to uncontrolled privatization.<\/p>\n
Article 40 (2) of the bill stipulates that the government may
\nset up a regulatory body under the authority of the minister in
\ncharge of water resources and accountable directly to the
\nminister, as part of the effort to achieve the goal of providing
\naffordable water and sanitation in a way that met the interests
\nof both consumers and water companies.<\/p>\n
According to Dossani, the regulatory body needed to be a
\nstrong body that was capable of protecting the interests of water
\nconsumers. He pointed to a case involving privatization in
\nAtlanta, USA, in which the people had taken back control of water
\nresources.<\/p>\n
\"In Atlanta, an evaluation was done and there was a large
\namount of evidence showing that privatization was not good for
\nthe citizens. Atlanta voted to undo its privatization after a
\ncareful review of the costs and benefits,\" he said.<\/p>\n
By contrast, Jakarta people had no power to control the water
\nsector. They could do nothing when the charges for tap water
\nincreased despite what they perceived as a lack of improvement in
\nwater quality.<\/p>\n
Currently, two international water companies are threatening
\nto pull out of Jakarta if the government rejects their requests
\nfor increased charges.<\/p>\n
Dossani claimed that a number of international institutions,
\nlike the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), could
\nsupport the interests of giant foreign water companies in the
\ndrafting of the bill.<\/p>\n
According to Dossani, those international institutions tended
\nto take a standard approach to the water sector, focussing on
\nfinancial viability above all, and consequently privatization,
\ndecentralization, cost recovery measures and so on.<\/p>\n
\"Should financial viability, that is, the ability of a utility
\nto make money, be more important than providing safe, affordable
\nwater to all? This is a question for Indonesians to decide
\nthrough democratic processes, not for the World Bank or ADB to
\ndecide,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Dossani was referring to the World Bank-sponsored water
\nresources sector adjustment loan (Watsal) scheme worth a total of
\nUS$300 million.<\/p>\n
The government commited itself to the scheme in 1999 when the
\ncountry faced severe financial difficulties following the
\neconomic crisis. The scheme requires that Indonesia reform its
\nlegislation on the water sector to allow for privatization.<\/p>\n
The World Bank has indicated that it may not disburse the
\nWatsal's third and last tranche due to Indonesia's failure to
\nproduce a bill on water resources that met the country's 1999
\ncommitment on water resources policy reform.<\/p>\n
But, the World Bank rejected accusations that it was involved
\nin a possible scenario designed to permit giant foreign companies
\nto get involved in the water sector in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The Asian Development Bank (ADB), which also co-sponsored the
\nscheme, rejected The Jakarta Post's request for an interview on
\nthe issue.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/water-bill-needs-more-debate-activist-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}