City allocates Rp 47.5 b for Bantar Gebang dump
City allocates Rp 47.5 b for Bantar Gebang dump
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The city administration is allocating at least Rp 47.5 billion
(US$5.59 million) from its 2004 budget for the Bantar Gebang dump
in Bekasi, three weeks before the contract with Bekasi to utilize
the dump expires on Dec. 31.
City councillor Mukhayar of the Justice Party (PK) revealed on
Thursday that of the amount some Rp 25 billion would be used to
pay compensation to the Bekasi municipality.
"The figure was a result from a discussion between City
Council's Commission D for development affairs and the
administration when discussing the draft of the 2004 city
budget," he said.
The remaining amount is for the development of a waste
processing facility in Bantar Gebang at the cost of Rp 2.9
billion, maintenance at Rp 17.6 billion and operational costs Rp
2 billion.
The total budget is a part of Jakarta Sanitation Agency's
budget of Rp 309.36 billion, which is taken from the 2004 city
budget of Rp 12.16 trillion.
Chairman of Commission D, Koeswadi Soesilohardjo of the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, pointed out that the
allocation was made after the sanitation agency failed to prepare
alternative waste treatment sites.
Separately, Bekasi municipality spokesman Cecep Sutandi said
that there had been no decision taken by the Bekasi
administration to extend the contract with Jakarta, even with the
Rp 25 billion compensation offered by the capital.
He said Bekasi Mayor Achmad Zulfaih had sent a letter to the
Council to discuss the proposal but no decision had been taken
yet.
Bekasi's decision to close the dump that has accommodated the
capital's 6,000 tons of daily waste since 1986 worries Jakarta.
So far, the only alternative is a waste treatment facility in
Bojong village, Bogor regency, that can accommodate 1,500 tons of
garbage per day. Locals, however are strongly opposed to the
dump, fearing possible environmental damage.
Two other waste treatment facilities in Duri Kosambi, West
Jakarta, and on Jl. Cakung Cilincing in East Jakarta will not be
ready until June 2004.