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