`Jakarta, Botabek inseparable'

Governor Surjadi Soedirdja said yesterday that various problems faced by Jakarta could not be solved by the city administration because the capital city is inseparable with surrounding areas.

"The problems of the city are closely related to urbanization and the progress of development in the buffer zone areas (Bogor, Tangerang and Bekasi)," Surjadi said.

He made the statement during the opening of a one day workshop entitled The Spatial Urban Arrangement for Metropolis and Its Problems at the City Hall.

He said that to tackle the problem of urbanization Jakarta must cooperate with other provinces in general and with Bogor, Tangerang and Bekasi (Botabek) in particular.

Jakarta and Botabek are physically, economically and socially inseparable, Surjadi said, because Botabek functions as a supporting area for Jakarta.

Any transportation, housing, industrial, educational and other developments, including the development of water sources and their distribution must be jointly planned and formulated, he added. (arf)