Coordination urged in capital's development

JAKARTA (JP): An expert called yesterday for a clear-cut difference between the city agency in charge of coordinating development programs in Greater Jakarta and the new coordination team formed by the National Development Planning Board (Bappenas), to prevent future overlapping roles.

Sociologist Sarjono Djatiman of the University of Indonesia made the call in response to the formation of the new coordination team to plan development in Greater Jakarta, which also includes Bogor, Tangerang and Bekasi.

"The coordinating work in the Greater Jakarta area is not an easy job to do and it's important to know whether the new team will replace the existing agency, or whether the agency will work under the team," Sarjono told The Jakarta Post yesterday.

The agency, BKSP Jabotabek, was previously the only agency responsible for the coordination of the development programs in Jakarta and its surrounding areas in West Java.

Sarjono said the agency could not be blamed for its inability to coordinate developments in two provinces as complicated procedures and the agency's lack of authority had hampered its effectiveness.

"It takes a lot of time for the agency to study a planned program because it has to meet each administration many times before the plan can be approved," Sarjono said.

"Approval could be achieved more quickly if each administration didn't insist on its own interest."

State Minister of National Development Planning/Chairman of the National Development Planning Board Ginandjar Kartasasmita issued a decree on Aug. 26 on the formation of the team, called the Coordination Team for the Greater Jakarta Area Development Plan.

Under the decree, the team is assigned to reevaluate and to make adjustments to the Presidential Instruction No. 13/1976 on Greater Jakarta's development plans, based on current conditions and future development predictions.

The team was also assigned to prepare a draft presidential decree on integrated spatial plans for certain areas in Greater Jakarta and then proposed it to the National Spatial Plan Coordination Board and the Jakarta and West Java governors.

In its assignment, the team can receive directions from related ministerial offices, the national spatial plan coordination board and the Jakarta and West Java governors. The team consists of experts in various relevant fields.

To prepare policies for the Greater Jakarta development plan, the team is to be assisted by BKSP Jabotabek.

The team answers to the State Minister of National Development Planning/Chairman of the National Development Planning Board, who is also chairman of the National Spatial Plan Coordination Board.

The team's activities are being financed by the state budget.

Deputy Governor of Economic and Development Affairs Tb.M. Rais yesterday welcomed the team's formation.

"The progress of Greater Jakarta's development is very fast. I hope the formation of the team will improve coordination among the two provinces," Rais said.

He expected the team to help solve problems, mainly on Greater Jakarta's spatial plan and traffic. (ste)