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)