Water resource bill needs examining<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Activists urged lawmakers on Tuesday to revise some articles in
\nthe water resource bill before bringing it to a House plenary
\nmeeting for endorsement, in order to avoid conflict in the
\ncommunity.<\/p>\n
They also renewed opposition to a plan to privatize the water
\nsector in order to get loans from the World Bank.<\/p>\n
\"We urge legislators to open a dialog with the public and
\nexamine articles in the bill before endorsing it,\" said Nadia
\nHadad of the International Forum on Indonesian Development
\n(Infid) at a press conference here on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Nila Ardhani from the Indonesian Forum on Globalization
\n(Infog) also suggested that lawmakers revise some problematic
\narticles in the bill, to prevent possible communal conflict.<\/p>\n
The activists feared that lawmakers would rush to endorse the
\nbill on Sept. 23 to meet the expectations of the World Bank.<\/p>\n
Separately, legislator Sumaryoto -- who chairs a working
\ncommittee to discuss the water resource bill -- refused to
\nexplain the bill in detail.<\/p>\n
\"We are still in the process of deliberating the substance of
\nthe bill. Perhaps, the result of our discussion will be known in
\nthe next two or three days,\" Sumaryoto told The Jakarta Post on
\nTuesday evening.<\/p>\n
Asked if the legislators intended to finish the bill and
\nendorse it on Sept. 23, Sumaryoto simply said that the process
\nwould take days and that there was no agreement, regarding the
\nbill's endorsement on that date.<\/p>\n
Nila said some articles in the bill had the potential to
\nincite communal conflicts.<\/p>\n
Article 49 of the bill states that the construction of a
\npipeline between regions can only be made if the water supply in
\none region exceeds the people's demand.<\/p>\n
Taking Jakarta as an example, Nila said residents who are
\nsupplied with water from Bogor and Jatiluhur dam, (both in West
\nJava), could not access this supply should people in Bogor and
\naround Jatiluhur dam claim they did not have enough water.<\/p>\n
This could also be the case for residents in towns in East
\nJava alongside the Bengawan Solo River, if residents in Surakarta
\nclaimed that their water supply was insufficient.<\/p>\n
Wianto Adipura -- another coalition member -- said he
\nsuspected that the deliberation of the water resource bill was
\npart of the World Bank's grand plan to privatize the water
\nresource.<\/p>\n
The move would allow foreign investors to control water
\nresources across the country, he said.<\/p>\n
Wianto of the Semarang-based Soegiyopranoto University
\ndisclosed that 119 of the total 293 state-owned drinking water
\nfirms (PAM) had huge foreign debts.<\/p>\n
\"The debts justify the need to privatize state-run water
\ncompanies. This is a proof that there is a grand scheme (behind
\nthe privatization drive),\" Wianto said without elaboration.<\/p>\n
Articles of the Water Resource Bill<\/p>\n
Preamble: The control of water resources by the state is intended
\nto ensure people's access to water for daily needs
\nThis contradicts Article 78 (2) which says in regard to the
\nfinancial condition of state water firms that the government to
\nsome extent can give donations to ensure the prosperity of social
\nservices and the public.<\/p>\n
Article 10 (3): The scheme of water management is designed to<\/p>\n
involve the public and private sector.<\/p>\n
Article 40 (3): Cooperatives, state firms, private companies, and<\/p>\n
the public can have a role in clean water<\/p>\n
management<\/p>\n
Article 46 (2): Control into the whole body of a river can only<\/p>\n
be handled by state-owned companies.<\/p>\n
Article 46 (3): Control into the body of a river exempted from<\/p>\n
above paragraph can be managed by private firm or<\/p>\n
individuals with licenses from the government.<\/p>\n
Source: Water Resource Bill<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/water-resource-bill-needs-examining-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }