New garbage collection fee expected to solve problems

JAKARTA (JP): The city administration will apply increased garbage collection charges in all subdistricts in the capital by 2002, an official said on Tuesday.

At the same time, residents will be required to pay the new charges along with their electricity bills.

Head of the City Sanitation Agency Saksono Soehodo said he expected that the new payment system would resolve the problem of the losses incurred by the city in respect of its garbage collection service over the years. But he declined to reveal the total losses.

"I believe that the new system will be more effective," said Saksono, adding that the new regulation would be applied to all residents by 2002, at the same time as City Bylaw No.3/1999 on city levies entered fully into effect.

He said that 180 of the 265 subdistricts in the capital, including Petamburan subdistrict, Tanah Abang district in Central Jakarta and Kayu Manis subdistrict in Matraman, East Jakarta, were already applying the new payment system,

The new system had increased city revenues from garbage collection charges from Rp 6.5 billion in 1999 to over Rp 8 billion last year.

"We expect that the city will get around Rp 11 billion this year from the garbage charges collected under the new system," he said.

Currently, people pay their garbage collection charges through their neighborhood and community associations (RT/RW) with charges ranging from Rp 250 up to Rp 10,000 based on the street's location. People whose property is situated on a main street have to pay Rp 10,000.

Under the new regulation, the city administration will levy garbage collection charges based solely on the size of the property, Saksono said.

In the case of houses measuring less than 70 square meters, the charge will be Rp 1,500 per month. For those living in a house of between 71 and 150 square meters, the charge will be Rp 3,000 per month. The charge will be Rp 4,500 for houses of between 151 and 250 square meters, Rp 6,000 if the house is between 251 and 300 square meters, and Rp 10,000 for those living in bigger houses.

City Bylaw No.3/1999 on city levies stipulates that small and medium enterprises, such as shops, restaurants, drugstores and laundries, should pay charges ranging between Rp 5,000 and Rp 10,000 per cubic meter per month based on the volume of garbage, he added.

The garbage collection charge for factories, shopping centers, office buildings, supermarkets, hotels and places of entertainment is Rp 15,000 per cubic meter per month.

Hospitals and medical laboratories will have to pay Rp 10,000 per cubic meter of garbage per month, while the fee for disposing of street vendors' garbage is set at Rp 5,000 per cubic meter per month.(04)