Ministry OKs Cipasera municipality

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

A study by the Ministry of Home Affairs shows that the districts of Ciputat, Pamulang, Serpong, Pondok Aren, Cisauk and Pagedangan, collectively known as Cipasera, have met the requirements to become a separate regency from Tangerang, Banten.

Djoko, one of those who carried out the study, said the six districts had a score of 3,280, significantly higher than the 2,228 required by Government Regulation No. 121/2000.

The score is an accumulative score of 40 variables of public facilities and their ratio in comparison with the total population in the area. The 40 variables include empty land, telephone network, electricity supply, hospitals, public health centers, roads, schools, public transportation, resident's income, social organizations, the arts, as well as cultural and tourism potential.

Public pressure has been increasing for the establishment of the Cipasera regency, but Tangerang regent Ismet Iskandar has strongly rejected the idea, arguing that the six districts were not ready to become an independent regency.

Ismet, instead, planned to establish two municipalities -- Ciputat and Serpong -- by 2010. Under his plan, the Ciputat municipality would cover Ciputat, Pamulang and Pondok Aren districts, while Serpong would cover Serpong, Cisauk and Pegedangan districts.

Responding to people's demand, the Ministry of Home Affairs decided to conduct a study on whether or not the six districts were ready to become an independent regency.

Hidayat Suhali, secretary-general of the Joint Committee for the Establishment of Cipasera Municipality (Komber) said that the finding meant that the six districts were more suited to being merged into a regency than into two new towns as suggested by Regent Ismet.

"If Ciputat, Pamulang and Pondok Aren are merged into a new municipality, there will be no more empty land that can be used since the three districts have developed business and residential housing areas, whereas empty land is still available in Serpong, Cisauk and Pagedangan," he told The Jakarta Post.

Tangerang regency has a total of 26 districts including Ciputat, Pamulang, Serpong, Pondok Aren, Pagedangan and Cisauk.

The six districts contribute up to 40 percent of the regency's Rp 370 billion annual revenue.

Komber, whose members comprise social organizations, religious groups, academicians, professionals and businessmen, submitted on Wednesday the result of the study to Tangerang council's special committee in charge of looking into the possibility of establishing an independent Cipasera regency.

Any move to set up a separate Cipasera regency, however, would have to get the nod from Regent Ismet.

Margiono, chairman of the coordinating body (Bakor) for the establishment of Cipasera regency, said Bakor and Komber appreciated the council's response to people's demand for a new regency.

"We hope that the special committee will really look into the results of the study and follow it up soon so that the new municipality can be formed in 2006," he said.

Councillor Abdul Muin Basuni, who chaired the special committee promised that he and 23 other committee members would discuss the study as soon as possible.