City to sign new trash MOU

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.