Investors sought for waste plant projects

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The city administration is inviting private companies to build waste treatment plants here in order to settle waste disposal problem once and for all.

"I has been tasked by Governor Sutiyoso to seek investors interested in developing waste treatment facilities in the capital," said newly installed head of the City Sanitation Agency Rama Boedi on Tuesday.

Rama said his office was looking into the possibility of developing one treatment plant in each of East Jakarta, North Jakarta, West Jakarta and South Jakarta municipalities.

"With the planned construction of waste treatment facilities, we hope we will no longer depend on other regions to manage around 6,000 tons of garbage the city produces daily," he said.

He said companies interested in the projects must have high qualifications -- both financial and technology capabilities.

According to Rama, potential investors would also be asked to explain their financial sources -- soft or commercial loan. "Of course, all facilities to be constructed in the city will use high technology, which will be environmentally friendly," he added.

He stressed, however, that the city administration would still maintain existing dumps outside Jakarta, including the 104- hectare dump in Bantar Gebang, Bekasi municipality, which would support planned waste treatment facilities.

Rama did not mention locations of planned waste plants, but several locations had been cited as potential alternative dump sites, including Marunda in North Jakarta, Tegal Alur and Duri Kosambi in West Jakarta and Cakung in East Jakarta.

Almost every year, the city experiences waste crisis.

Early last year, the city was forced to dispose garbage to Cilincing subdistrict, North Jakarta, following the closure of Bantar Gebang dump.