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.