NGOs slam Sutiyoso's policies

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Two non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have criticized Governor Sutiyoso administration's policies on eviction and the environmental and for delaying important projects.

Jakarta Residents Forum (Fakta) chairman Azas Tigor Nainggolan said at the City Council on Wednesday that on a scale of zero to 10, Sutiyoso's administration would only score 2.8 for performance.

Responding to the governor's budget speech, Tigor slammed the administration for its eviction policy.

"The administration conducted 27 evictions in 2003, causing 13,352 families to lose their homes," he told councillors from the Justice Party (PK) and the National Mandate Party (PAN).

Besides evicting squatters, the administration also evicted street vendors on 49 occasions, rendering 17,592 people jobless.

Jakarta Public Order Agency head Soebagio revealed last October that the intensive eviction of squatters across the capital was related to budget spending by relevant agencies. He said that one office, namely the Jakarta Public Works Agency, had allocated Rp 32 billion for riverbank improvements, which included clearing the banks of shanties.

Tigor also criticized the council's factions for always accepting the governor's budget speech even though many of them criticize his policies on the poor.

Fakta assessed Sutiyoso's administration in eight areas of performance: forceful eviction, dealing with dengue fever outbreaks, waste management, transportation management, education, pollution, flood management and security.

In the eight areas, eviction, waste and transportation management came first, second and third respectively in terms of poor performance.

Meanwhile, Independent Forum for Budget Transparency (Fitra) advocacy coordinator Uchok Sky Khadafi focused his criticism on the city's policy on the environment. He said officials who were supposed to protect the environment did not investigate environmental damage quickly enough.

"They only make a move when they get reports from the media or activists about environmental damage," Uchok said.

He cited the pollution caused by Cilincing dump as an example that the city was unaware of how to protect the environment.

Due to the temporary closure of Bantar Gebang dump in Bekasi earlier this year, the capital's 6,000 tons of daily waste was dumped on open land in Cilincing, North Jakarta. The dumping polluted shrimp and fish farms nearby, causing farmers to suffer over Rp 700 million (US$81,395) in losses.

Fitra also criticized the administration's delay of projects and the significant changes to some plans.

The administration came under fire last year for spending 25 percent of the total Rp 11.5 trillion city budget in the first semester.

Some important projects, including the construction of the East Flood Canal and waste management facilities, have yet to commence.

Significant changes to the busway project, launched on Jan. 15, have also been criticized as it still fails to encourage private car owners to switch to public transportation and only worsens traffic conditions, Fitra said.