Capital's population drops by 1.1 million, governor reveals

JAKARTA (JP): The capital, renown as one of the most densely populated cities in the world, wrote a new page in its history book by losing a whopping 1.1 million of its population within a year.

Smiling broadly, Governor Sutiyoso announced on Tuesday that the current population in Jakarta -- based on the latest census by the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) -- dropped to 8.3 million people from last year's figure of 9.4 million.

"I was quite stunned, but glad after reading the report. The capital will be less condensed than it used to be," Sutiyoso told reporters, adding that it's hard for him to believe the significant drop in population of the megalopolis.

BPS initially predicted that the total population in Jakarta this year would be about 400,000 higher than the 1999 figure.

The World Bank has predicted that Jakarta is likely to have over 20 million inhabitants by the year 2015 and will be the fifth largest urban agglomeration in the world after Tokyo, Mumbai, Lagos and Shanghai.

Sutiyoso admitted he did not know the reasons behind the population's decline, saying that he had just read the BPS report on Tuesday.

But the former Jakarta Military commander estimated that the decline might have something to do with the trend of many Jakartans to work or run their businesses in Jakarta but live with their families in the nearby towns of Tangerang, Bekasi, Depok and Tangerang.

"The phenomenon is actually advantageous for us because we are less burdened with the number of the people but our economic activities go on as usual," Sutiyoso said.

He also suspected that the drop in population might be connected with people losing their appetite for Jakarta and the scheduled implementation of regional autonomy in 2001 which promises many business and job opportunities in the provinces.

"The number of people from other provinces who used to seek jobs in Jakarta has also been declining.

"They might have realized that regional autonomy will give fairer profit sharing for people in their hometowns in other provinces," Sutiyoso said.

Unlike many other cities and provinces across the country, Jakarta -- which covers an area of 656 square kilometers -- has no natural resources and relies on trade and service activities for its income.

Last year, the BPS recorded some 681,000 people here lived below the poverty line.

But Sutiyoso said that he and his administration were happy with the drop in population.

"Whatever the reason, it gives us fewer problems and people to take care of," the governor remarked. (dja)