Officials' poor quality blamed for poor service

Officials' poor quality blamed for poor service

JAKARTA (JP): Deputy Governor of Administrative Affairs Abdul
Kahfi is shifting the blame for the city administration's failure
to address the problem of street people to the poor quality and
limited number of city officials.

"Most of our officials are ill-equipped or not well-trained to
deal with street vendors, prostitutes, homeless people or social
disturbances.

"We do not have enough public order officials either," Kahfi
said on Friday.

He said Jakarta was a complex city with many social problems
that constantly change.

"So it's impossible for city officials to handle them all," he
said.

Kahfi said the city administration officials could not cover
the whole of Jakarta to raid street vendors, prostitutes and
street children, nor to anticipate public disorder in the
capital.

"The capital is so dynamic. How can we detect or control
things? It's impossible. We have tried everything to reduce the
problems, but it's not easy," he said.

Reducing instances of public disorder is a priority which
Governor Sutiyoso stipulated in his revised accountability speech
on Aug. 22.

Following councillors' rejection of his initial accountability
speech on July 20, Sutiyoso ordered routine raids on street
vendors, prostitutes, the homeless and others who make a living
on the capital's streets.

The official raids will be completed by the end of this month.

But the streets of Jakarta do not seem to have fewer street
people, despite the administration's claim to have raided more
than 40,000 people.

Currently, the capital only has 783 public order officials
with overall operational funds of Rp 2 billion (US$222,220),
allocated from the city budget.

The administration has been told by the councillors to hire
more officials at the city Public Order Office, as the city
should have a minimum of 2,775 public order officials and a Rp 10
billion budget.

"We would like to appeal to all mayors, district and
subdistrict officials to be more helpful and be more responsible
for social disturbances in their respective areas, rather than
waiting for instructions from the central government," Kahfi
said.

He said that Jakartans should also help the city reduce
instances of public disorder.

The chairman of City Council Commission E for social welfare,
Edy Suchro Abdul Djalal, underlined that the city administration
should be more serious, even though the raids would end this
month.

"The city has to address the real societal problems and have
clear programs for those netted in raids.

"How the city can help them improve their quality of life is
more important that just arresting these people," Edy said. (dja)