Jakarta offers seaport, sewage projects at summit

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Jakarta administration will propose several vital projects during the Infrastructure Summit 2005 here on Jan. 17 and Jan. 18.

"Several projects top the priority list, including a seaport, tap water and sewage system projects," Jakarta Deputy Governor Fauzi Bowo said over the weekend.

The development of a new international port in the city is necessary to help boost the city's revenue, Fauzi said.

He said Tanjung Priok Port in North Jakarta, which is managed by state port operator Pelindo II, failed to provide good services because it was not integrated with other supporting infrastructure in the city, including roads and a clean water supply.

Fauzi said the only way to make a port competitive was to interconnect its infrastructure with supporting infrastructure in the city.

"We have to try to provide services on the same level as other ports in Southeast Asia," he said.

The administration and city-owned developer PT Marindo Bahtera Development have discussed plans to construct a US$500 million multipurpose port in East Ancol, North Jakarta.

In addition to port infrastructure, Jakarta also is facing problems providing clean water for about 10 million people in the city, as most of the pipe network is old and in poor condition.

The city also has been unable to solve its liquid waste problems given the absence of an integrated sewage system in the city.

Fauzi said these priority projects would be addressed by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono during the summit.

Governor Sutiyoso said earlier the President had also promised to bring the development of an ambitious Mass Rapid Transit system for the capital to the summit.

"The National Development Planning Agency has said that the subway has been put on its shortlist of projects," said Sutiyoso,

The Jakarta administration and the central government will jointly finance the US$767 million project beginning next year.