Jakarta told to promote its uniqueness

JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta should promote its uniqueness and cultural attractions to make a name for itself as a service city, a seminar was told yesterday.

Deputy Governor for Development Affairs Tb. M. Rais and businessman Ciputra told a seminar at Wisata Hotel, Central Jakarta, that the city must highlight what it has to offer in order to entice more visitors

"There is no comparable value if the city just follows other big cities in selling its wares or places," Rais said.

Events such as the fair organized by residents of Jl. Jaksa in Central Jakarta or local performances like the Topeng Monyet (Monkey Mask) dance should be promoted as they are unique to the city, he said.

"Sometimes we are not aware that what we think is embarrassing, is actually attracting foreigners and could be advertised."

Ciputra said that promoting Jakarta as a service hub was much more difficult than creating -- for example -- a city with a good ecotourism or recreation image.

"Principally, people do not need to go abroad to shop, so to encourage people to spend their money here we need other attractions: cheap wares, good service and clean places. They are complex things."

Ciputra said that other big Asian cities -- such as Singapore, Bangkok in Thailand, Manila in the Philippines and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia -- had tried their hand at turning their respective cities into a shopping hub.

But it was Jakarta that had potential because of its cheap labor, cheap real estate, good quality wares and duty-free goods, he said.

Ciputra said that Jakarta should promote its traditional markets as a must-see destination for foreigners.

"But why would foreigners be interested in visiting our traditional markets if hoodlums and the like spoil the image of the markets."

He said that the city should not just build big shopping centers but also markets for the vendors.

"But to create a (tourist-friendly) image, safety must be a priority."

Christianto Wibisono, director of Indonesian Business Data Center, said yesterday that Jakarta was not ready to become a service city.

"Jakarta has to deal with its chronic bureaucratic diseases first. It's impossible to create a service city -- which needs a fast, professional and accurate system -- when the city is weighed down by inefficiency in implementing its policies and procedures.

"The city must be given greater autonomy, so every decision made by the municipality benefits its residents, as well as being close to the little people."

He said the complicated procedures did not help matters, rather it led to inefficiency and wasted more money.

Christianto said creating more social and public facilities would provide people with a better living environment and speed up the process of turning Jakarta into a service hub.

He said that many high-ranking officials made incorrect decisions, even disastrous ones, for the city's development because they lacked information about the goings-on here.

"I tell you one thing, a Jakarta mayor will know more than a minister about the problems in this city. Why? Because the mayor is closer to the people. He can see the reality and understand the people's needs much better."

Djafar Assegaff, a noted Indonesia journalist, told the seminar that the media has a significant role to play in broaching the service city idea with the public.

"I believe the press has a significant role in the city's development. If the press is a little bit harsh when it writes about developments in the city, it's usually because there's something wrong with the implementation of a policy or something else."

Criticism will shape this city into a better one, he said.

But Djafar said it would be a waste of time to build the capital into a mega city if the people can not keep up with the changes.

"Our society still needs to be taught about basic things, such as discipline and professionalism. So the only thing we can do now is enhance the people's mentality." (edt/ind)