City urged to lower water tariffs

City urged to lower water tariffs

JAKARTA (JP): Following widespread public complaints over the
city's water tariff hike, city council speaker Edy Waluyo urged
the administration yesterday to follow through with its promise
to lower tap water prices soon.

Edy said the administration had no reason to repeatedly
postpone its plan to lower water tariffs since the city-owned
water management company, PDAM Jaya, had already settled its
dispute with two private companies it had previously cooperated
with.

"People are now waiting for lower tariffs as the
administration promised," he said.

Last month, the deputy governor for development affairs,
Budiardjo Soekmadi, promised the council the city government
would lower water prices "as soon as possible".

Budiardjo made the remarks after announcing the cancellation
of a water management cooperation between PDAM and two private
companies: PT Garuda Dipta Semesta (GDS), a subsidiary company
owned by tycoon Soedono Salim, and PT Kekar-Thames Airindo
(Kati), owned by former president Soeharto's eldest son Sigit
Hardjojudanto.

Under the cooperation with these two companies, PDAM had
announced a 25 percent average increase in tariffs from April 1.
The new tariffs mostly affected affluent customers, who must now
pay up to 65.71 percent more in their water bills.

However, the administration last month decided to end the
cooperation and set up a new deal with two foreign partners,
French firm Lyonnaise des Eaux and British firm Thames Water
International.

PDAM's promise to lower its water tariffs following the new
agreement has yet to make Jakartans happy.

Most people are upset that their bills this month more than
doubled those of previous months.

"The city administration still enjoys lying to the public.
What are they thinking raising the water tariff during such times
of economic crisis?" said a housewife.

Governor Sutiyoso refused to comment on the issue.

"No, no, no. I don't have anything to say at the moment," he
told journalists yesterday evening.

According to Edy, the administration might be "still figuring
out new tariffs that would be acceptable to the public".
(bsr/ind)