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.