Germany sponsors Yogya urban renewal programs

Germany sponsors Yogya urban renewal programs

YOGYAKARTA (JP): A German-sponsored program aimed at improving
the quality of urban infrastructure and communities in 26 cities
and regencies in four provinces in Indonesia was launched here on
Tuesday.

Chief of Urban Development of GTZ-Indonesia Gerd Sippel told a
media conference at Yogyakarta Hyatt Regency Hotel that the
program, termed the Urban Quality Program, would have as its
priority developing the quality of public services, with an
emphasis on the participation and cooperation of urban
communities between one city and the others.

Sippel also underlined the important role of regional
administrations in the efforts to enable local people to
participate in the development programs.

"We've seen in many parts of the world how important the local
governments' role are in enabling people to function in
development programs," he said.

The US$5.5 million program, which involves 26 mayoralties and
regencies in the province of Yogyakarta, Nusa Tenggara Barat
(NTB), Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT), and Central Java, is run by
German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) in cooperation with central
government, the four provinces, and 26 mayoralties and regencies.
The central government is also participating in financing the
program, with financial support of $1.5 million.

The first stage of the program is scheduled to end in 2004.

Governors of the four provinces, as well as heads of the 26
mayoralties and regencies, attended the launch ceremony of the
program.

Counsellor for Development Cooperation at the German Embassy
Hans Hamann underlined that the program would be in accordance
with the government's wish to implement regional autonomy, as the
most important priority of the program was how to empower local
people in the decision-making processes of the local governments.

Yogyakarta Governor Sultan Hamengkubuwono X said in his
address that the quality of leadership remained important in the
efforts to develop the urban communities.

"A synergic cooperation between leaders, politicians,
government officials, and businessmen is very important to the
success of the program. City leaders are like conductors in an
orchestra," he said. (44)