Municipality in a sad state, councilor says

Municipality in a sad state, councilor says

JAKARTA (JP): A councilor said yesterday he pitied the
municipality because it lacked authority in its own area of
jurisdiction.

The city had to deal with too many other parties, Bandjar
Marpaung said, which obstructed several important programs.

"I am quite concerned," said the head of Commission D for
development affairs.

"The central government needs to be really sincere in granting
the municipality autonomy to manage the city," Bandjar, a member
of the ruling Golkar faction said.

There were too many "governors" here, he said, despite 1990
law number 11 on the capital which outlines the city's authority.

"A government decree to enforce the law has yet to be issued,"
he said.

During a break in a meeting between the city executives on the
city's budget for 1997/1998, Bandjar was responding to questions
about whether decentralization was needed to manage the Seribu
Islands.

The Republika daily reported Wednesday the Gusung Laga, Gusung
Kapas, and Gusung Karang islands were being lost to the sea like
the previously reported disappearances of the Tidung and Ubi
Islands.

Uncontrolled sand quarrying is said to be a cause.

Ali Rozi, the head of the city's environmental study and
monitoring office, said yesterday the city's autonomy in managing
the islands, which are under the North Jakarta mayoralty, was
crucial to the preservation of the islands and its waters.

He said it was ironic that a presidential decree was issued to
preserve the Seribu Islands but destruction continues. The
authorities can not stop the sand excavation business, he said.

Permits for sand quarrying are acquired from the Ministry of
Mines and Energy.

A government rule on coastal management gives the authority to
the Ministry of Transportation, specifically the Directorate
General of Sea Affairs.

The Navy, the Ministry of Mines and Energy, the city tourism
agency and the fishing agency are also involved in coastal
management.

"We are powerless to prevent environmental damage," Ali said.

The city's environmental office has not even conducted
research into the environmental damage of the Seribu Islands, he
said.

Bandjar said many city problems were caused by lack of city
autonomy.

"It is natural that the capital does not belong to the
municipality alone. But the trouble is many regulations are over-
lapping," Bandjar said.

The city's intention of reclaiming 2,700 hectares of land to
make a waterfront city was hampered by the same problem, he said.

The municipality is backed by a 1996 presidential decree
giving it authority to oversee this project, but a government
rule, which is legally higher than a presidential decree, is
still effective giving the Ministry of Transportation authority
over coastal management.

Governor Surjadi Soedirdja said earlier the need for a
ministry permit to begin the waterfront city project hampered the
plans.

"The plans are all set but it is not that easy to proceed,"
Bandjar said.

The government's rules should be flexible on city projects
like this, he said.

Problems were also surfacing in relation to traffic
management, he said.

Plans to build a subway in April, to solve public transport
problems, were stalled by the absence of a presidential decree.

Deputy Governor for Economic and Development Affairs Tb M Rais
said earlier that whether a subway, or a light rail transit was
built, the city needed the decree to clarify its role. (11/anr)