City admits poor planning in school renovation projects

City admits poor planning in school renovation projects

Damar Harsanto, Jakarta

At least 13 school construction projects have been halted as a
result of poor planning by the Jakarta Elementary Education
Agency.

Jakarta Deputy Governor Fauzi Bowo said at City Hall on Friday
that work on the 13 schools throughout Jakarta had been delayed
since 2002 due to financial constraints resulting from the
education agency's poor budgetary planning.

"If only the education agency had allocated the money for the
reconstruction before tearing down the school buildings, this
problem would not have occurred. It is simply a result of poor
planning," he said. "Students have had to be moved to other
schools for the time being."

Fauzi said that although academic activities were not
interrupted by the project delays, students and teachers had been
left in a state of uncertainty over when they could return to
their old schools.

"We have decided to prioritize these projects in the upcoming
revised city budget, which is currently being discussed, by
taking funds allocated for other city projects," he said.

The revised budget will be based on an evaluation by the
administration of the implementation of city projects in the
first six months of the year.

Jakarta Audit Agency head Firman Hutajulu said his agency had
investigated the delayed projects and had come to the conclusion
that they were the result of mistakes by the education agency.

"The education agency started construction on those school
buildings in 2002. However, it only allocated enough money for
the reconstruction of several buildings, not for all 13 of the
schools," he said.

Firman did not say if the education agency's head would be
sanctioned over the matter.

The education agency's official for building construction and
procurement, Dian Hardian, defended the agency, saying it had
proposed a Rp 86 billion budget for reconstruction work on 10
elementary schools and 17 junior high schools last year.

He said the administration only disbursed Rp 50 billion of the
proposed money, which meant the agency only had the funds to
complete work on 14 schools, with construction on the other 13
being delayed.

Education agency deputy head Maman Achdiat, however, said the
agency had the funds and was ready to proceed with the
construction projects.

"We have the money. We are in the process of appointing (a
developer) for the project .... Hopefully, the construction will
be completed this year," he said.

I-box
13 schools on which construction has been halted
West Jakarta
SMP 105
SMP 89
East Jakarta
SMP 80
SMP 199
Central Jakarta
SMP 118
SMP 40
South Jakarta
SMP 68
SMP 161
SMP 154
North Jakarta
SMP 23
SMP 144
SMP 120
SMP 20