Ex-minister proposes 'megapolitan' master plan
Ex-minister proposes 'megapolitan' master plan
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Former population and environment minister Emil Salim suggests
that a 2005 to 2025 Greater Jakarta "megapolitan" master plan
should be prepared, in an attempt to answer a variety of urban
problems like uncontrolled land use, waste management,
transportation and flooding.
Emil said on Tuesday that the master plan could become a set
of guidelines for all autonomous administrations in Greater
Jakarta when drawing up long-term development programs for their
respective areas.
"We should begin to think of a megapolitan development
concept, which will cover all areas within Greater Jakarta to
prevent uncontrolled development in the areas," Emil told a
seminar on the revision of Law No. 34/1999 on the Jakarta special
administration.
Greater Jakarta covers Jakarta, Bogor municipality, Bogor
regency, Bekasi municipality, Bekasi regency, Depok municipality,
Tangerang municipality and Tangerang regency.
Beside those eight autonomous regions, Emil said, the master
plan should also involve West Java and Banten provincial
administrations.
He added the implementation of such a master plan should be
carried out by a coordinating body that should be under the
coordination of the Jakarta governor.
He further explained that the coordinating body could also
prepare a joint budget, particularly on matters of mutual
interest for the regions like waste management, traffic
management and river and canal management.
He proposed that the Office of the Coordinating Minister for
the Economy could become the central government institution to
supervise coordination between those regions in Greater Jakarta.
A similar idea was put forward by former Governor Ali Sadikin,
who demanded the central government become the facilitator for
the preparation of a master plan.
Ali said that the concept of megapolitan Jakarta was nothing
new as it had been introduced in 1954 when a project designed by
the UN attempted to create guidelines for development in Greater
Jakarta.
According to Ali, when he become Jakarta governor in the late
1960s and early 1970s, he developed the concept into one that
included development in Jakarta, Bogor, Tangerang and Bekasi --
Jabotabek.
"It was I who introduced the term, 'Jabotabek.' Unfortunately,
the megapolitan concept was not followed up," he said, adding
that he agreed that it should be revived.
Jakarta is often involved in disputes with neighboring
administrations. It became involved in a wrangle with Bekasi over
Jakarta's main garbage dump at Bantar Gebang.
The capital is also involved in a dispute with Tangerang
regency due to the latter's claim over several islands in the
Thousand Islands regency.
Governor Sutiyoso recently asked the House of Representatives
to revise Law No. 34 and grant more power to the governor to rule
Greater Jakarta, but his suggestion was rejected by the
neighboring municipalities and regencies.