Former governors tell administration to improve services
Former governors tell administration to improve services
Damar Harsanto, Jakarta
Former Jakarta governors called on the city administration to
improve services in the capital on Tuesday by reducing red tape,
cutting paperwork, enforcing discipline and developing
infrastructure.
Surjadi Soedirdja, who served as governor from 1992 to 1997,
said that a thorough improvement in services was needed to make
Jakarta a competitive service city in the region.
"One of the most important things is Jakartans hospitality,
especially for those in the bureaucracy. Bureaucrats must serve
the public so that Jakartans gain better access to services from
the administration by reducing lengthy procedures," he told
reporters on the sidelines of a special general meeting to
celebrate the city's 477th anniversary at City Hall.
Also present in the meeting were Ali Sadikin, who was governor
between 1966 and 1977, and Soeprapto, who served from 1982 to
1987.
Surjadi criticized the administration's red tape and lengthy
paperwork which frustrated residents.
Critics have addressed the issue of the cumbersome
bureaucracy, which has made the city less attractive to
investors, resulting in a high-cost economy due to many illegal
fees imposed on business enterprises.
"Jakarta is in dire need of improvement as the country's
capital, which also hosts cultural and economic activities,"
Surjadi added.
Soeprapto underlined the importance of enforcing discipline in
the city. "It's urgent and important to enforce discipline
citywide."
He criticized the people's lack of awareness of discipline
that has created a chaos on the roads, not to mention the
mushrooming slums along riverbanks and on vacant land.
Soeprapto welcomed incumbent Governor Sutiyoso's move to solve
traffic woes in the capital through the construction of an
integrated transportation system.
"Just like other residents, I hope Jakarta becomes more humane
and the administration manages to maintain security, comfort and
peace. The city should become a role model for other big cities
countrywide," he said.
The most outspoken governor Ali Sadikin, meanwhile, repeated
his idea on the establishment of a special coordinating ministry
for Greater Jakarta to help solve problems involving
administrations in areas bordering the capital.
"I have been proposing the idea for decades, but the central
government stubbornly resists it," he said.
Ali -- who was known for his innovative policies, including
legalizing gambling in Jakarta to raise city revenue -- argued
that the ministry was necessary, as the authority of the Jakarta
governor would only cover the city, while the ministry would
oversee the development of areas surrounding the capital.