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.