City to sign new trash MOU

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

City Governor Sutiyoso and Bekasi Mayor Nonon Sonthanie plan to sign a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the use of Jakarta's main garbage dump in Bantar Gebang on Thursday.

"I hope that I can sign the memorandum tomorrow. We have worked hard for it," Sutiyoso told reporters at the City Hall on Wednesday.

However, the City Protocol Office has not scheduled a time for the governor as Bekasi Council will decide its official stance on the matter on Thursday, during a plenary session.

City Spokesman Muhayat claimed the administration had prepared the agreement even though the mayoralty council had not officially revoked its earlier recommendation on the closure of the dump.

"We have prepared the agreement since it will be signed by the Jakarta administration and Bekasi municipality," Muhayat told The Jakarta Post.

He said the MOU would also specify requirements that were to be fulfilled by Jakarta, including annual compensation of Rp 8.75 billion and the development of a community health center and a local water pipeline.

During the plenary session Bekasi council is likely to revoke the recommendation it issued in December last year calling for the dump to be closed on environmental grounds, after being pressured by various parties.

"I don't know what more I could do (after all that effort) if Bekasi still refused (to cooperate)," Sutiyoso said on Wednesday.

Based on the council's recommendation, on Dec. 10 Bekasi mayoralty closed the dump, which until then had accommodated most of the 25,000 cubic meters of garbage produced by the city every day.

After a series of talks the 104-hectare dump was reopened within a week.

But the mayoralty urged Jakarta to renew the MOU, with a number of extra conditions, by Jan.31.

In 1999, Bekasi and Jakarta signed a MOU that required the latter to repair the environmental damage and pay annual compensation of Rp 1 billion. Last year, the City paid compensation of Rp 2.5 billion.