Agency calls for more funds to improve roads

JAKARTA (JP): A limited budget and the increase in the price of construction materials due to the weakening of the rupiah against the U.S. dollar has crippled the city's efforts to repair the capital's streets, an official said.

The head of the City Public Works Agency, Fadly Khatib, told councillors on Thursday his office did not deserve the blame for the poorly maintained streets in Jakarta.

He said his agency proposed a budget of Rp 46 billion (US$6.13 billion) for the construction and repair of streets in the 1999/2000 fiscal year, but only received Rp 39 billion, or Rp 7 billion less than it had requested.

"This is the reason why the agency couldn't repair all the streets properly. We have a scale of priority," Fadly told city councillors in a hearing at the City Council.

During the meeting, Fadly asked the councillors to approve the agency's budget proposal of "more than Rp 46 billion" for the upcoming 2000 fiscal year, which lasts from April 1 to Dec. 31.

According to data from the agency, there are 6,400 kilometers of streets in the city, or about 41 million square meters.

"An asphalt overlay three centimeters thick cost about Rp 8,000 per square meter in 1996. Since 1997, the price has doubled to some Rp 16,000," Fadly said.

In the current fiscal year, the city administration allocated around Rp 9.5 billion for street repairs, much lower than the Rp 10.3 billion allotted in the 1996/1997 fiscal year.

The agency has requested some Rp 11.8 billion in the 2000 fiscal year for street repairs.

In the city's draft budget for the upcoming fiscal year, the administration has allocated some Rp 213 billion for the maintenance of the city's public facilities and infrastructure, including streets and pedestrian bridges.

Like many of the city's other agencies, the Public Works Agency is quick to blame budget limitations and the crash of the rupiah for its inability to accomplish its tasks .

Jakartans often complain about the potholes and generally poor conditions of the streets, including major thoroughfares and toll roads, in and around Jakarta.

Many of the streets also flood and become impassable during the rainy season.

The poorly maintained streets in the capital include Jl. Gatot Subroto, Jl. Daan Mogot, Jl. RE Martadinata, and Jl. Cakung Cilincing.

During the meeting on Thursday, Fadly also disclosed the agency's request for Rp 9 billion in the 2000 fiscal year to acquire land along West Jakarta's Kamal and Tanjungan rivers, which cross the Soedyatmo toll road.

The toll road, the main artery connecting Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and Jakarta, was flooded last December following heavy rains, forcing the cancellation of domestic and international flights.

"With the money, we'll be able to widen both rivers and prevent water from inundating the toll road," he said, adding that the funds would also be used to construct a man-made lake near the rivers.

"The 2,000-square-meter lake will retain water to prevent flooding of the toll road," he said.

For the lake to be constructed, local residents would first have to be relocated.

He said the Ministry of Settlement and Territorial Development has agreed to provide Rp 3.5 billion to build apartments for relocated residents.

Councilor FX Marsiadi of the Indonesian Military/National Police faction suggested the agency make a list of its priorities to overcome the problem of a limited budget and strictly control the construction of roads.

"The agency must implement strict quality supervision of every company working on road projects to ensure (the roads) meet all the required technical specifications," he said. (nvn)