Autonomy vital 'to avoid an influx of migrants'

Autonomy vital 'to avoid an influx of migrants'

JAKARTA (JP): A city official stressed on Wednesday the
importance of regional autonomy as a means to curb the
influx of migrants into the capital and the accompanying social
problems.

The head of the city's street vendors and small-scale business
section, Djaya Sukma, told The Jakarta Post that provincial
governments would have greater authority to develop their regions
once the ruling on autonomy comes into effect.

"Development tailored to the needs of the region could create
jobs that could be filled by local human resources so that they
would not seek employment in the capital," Djaya said.

He said many rural jobless people came to the capital in
expectation of improving their welfare. Blinded by their dreams
of a better life, they often failed to realize the harsh
realities of living in the city, he added.

Ill-equipped for job competition and other demands, most of
the people could barely subsist, forced into working as street
vendors or beggars.

He said the people could find better job opportunities in
their home provinces, helping generate income and boosting the
regional economy.

Discussing the number of street vendors in the capital, he
said there were about 12,000 registered vendors operating in 302
locations in Jakarta's five mayoralties. His figure is a fraction
of the estimation by the daily Kompas last November.

Kompas said there were around 120,000 vendors in Jakarta, of
which an estimated 49 percent were Jakartans.

The discrepancy probably lies in the fact that most vendors
are not registered.

Djaya said a survey jointly conducted by his office and
the Central Bureau of Statistics last year showed there were more
than 5,600 street vendors in the Tanah Abang area, but only 200
of them were registered.

He said the influx of migrants to the capital created social
problems and disrupted public order.

"Because the newcomers are desperate and have no place to run
their business, they simply occupy public areas such as streets,
sidewalks and the city's parks," he said.

"They disturb public order."

He noted residents' complaints about vendor activities in
Taman Puring II, Tanah Abang and Senen districts. The vendors
have been accused of causing traffic jams, littering and
contributing to rising crime.

Djaya argued that his office could not be held responsible for
the operation of unregistered street vendors.
He said the complexities arising from the presence of street
vendors needed to be handled by a special body involving many
agencies, such as city public order and social affairs.

The agency is expected to map out a new strategy and
procedures that could be well implemented at all governmental
levels, including in subdistricts.

Many of the city's agencies, he said, used their own
strategies, while at the subdistrict level they used different
approaches. "All were done without good coordination," he added.

He said his office would hold a seminar on social problems
created by street vendors. "The seminar will involve sociologists
and small-scale economic experts from the University of Indonesia
and the Bogor Agricultural Institute.

"Academic discussions are needed to find a comprehensive
solution to the problem."

He said his office also planned to provide new locations for
vendors, with priority for those who hailed from Jakarta.

The vendors would be exempted from paying rent. "They only
have to pay for security and garbage fees daily, as well as the
fee for the organizers in their respective locations." (06)