Councillors support establishment of new municipality

Councillors support establishment of new municipality

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post/Tangerang

Skeptical responses from residents has not deterred councillors
from throwing their weight behind the idea of establishing a new
municipality in Tangerang.

"We support the establishment of Cipasera as a new
municipality because it is the right time for the six districts
in the southern part of the regency to become independent,"
councillor Tri Satria Santoso of the Indonesia Democratic Party
of Struggle said during talks on Saturday with the Joint
Committee for the Establishment of an Autonomous Cipasera (KBKO).

He claimed 17 councillors representing the six districts on
the regency council agreed with the move as Cipasera had been
unfairly treated by the administration.

Santoso argued that Cipasera contributed 40 percent of the
regency's Rp 369 billion (US$41 million) in annual revenue but
little of the money ever came back to the area. The
administration had even secured a Rp 200 billion loan from Bank
Jabar to finance infrastructural development in the northern part
of the regency, but was still ignoring the south.

Councillors Abdul Muin Basuni of the National Awakening Party
faction, Haris Sudiono of the Democratic Party faction, Dicky
Syafrudin of the Golkar Party faction and Basuki Rahardjo of the
National Mandate Party faction also voiced their support during
the discussion.

The idea of setting up Cipasera emerged in 1992 when a group
of residents of Ciputat, Pamulang, Serpong and Pondok Aren
realized that their industrial and residential areas had the
potential to become a municipality.

The name Cipasera was derived from the names of the four
districts. In 2000, residents of the newly established Cisauk and
Pegedangan districts said they also wanted to become part of
Cipasera, which would have a total population of 1.6 million.

Hidayat Suhali, secretary-general of the Joint Committee, said
the residents had voiced their aspirations about the new
municipality to the council's Commission A on Monday.

He said the results of a feasibility study in 1999 showed that
Cipasera was financially capable of becoming an independent
municipality.

"The study was carried out at the same time as one on Depok
municipality. Depok's potential revenues were found to be only Rp
42 billion at that time while Cipasera's were Rp 69 billion," he
said.

Hidayat claimed 80 percent of the 72 subdistrict heads in the
six districts had agreed to support the establishment of the
municipality.

Councilor Basuki Rahardjo said Commission A would set up a
special committee to look into the issue.