PDI supports unification of Greater Jakarta
PDI supports unification of Greater Jakarta
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) faction of the City Council has urged the government to join Jakarta, Bogor, Tangerang and Bekasi (Jabotabek) under one authority to harmonize the development in the areas.
Chairman of the PDI faction Lukman F. Mokoginta told a press conference yesterday that unification will enable the government to synchronize development in the Greater Jakarta area.
"Currently, there is unfair competition among the administrations of Bekasi, Bogor and Tangerang in their development programs. This tends to ruin the development program of the capital," Lukman said.
He cited the rapid development of residential housing in Bogor regency, whereas Jakarta has been working hard to preserve the areas bordering the Bogor regency as water catchment areas.
Flooding and a shortage of groundwater are the result of this contradictory policy, he said.
"The number of people commuting from those cities in West Java to Jakarta is another problem. Traffic congestion in the areas close to the borders cannot be avoided," he said.
Those problems indicate that Jakarta, Bogor, Tangerang and Bekasi each have their own forms of city planning which conflict with each other due to their own interests, Lukman said.
The existing Jabotabek development coordination board, which was supposed to coordinate and synchronize developments in those cities, has so far failed to do its task properly.
"The body is a reflection of a perfect concept. But practically, it has not yet managed to accord the Jakarta and West Java concepts in development. Both administrations keep on implementing their own policies," he said.
Controversy over Jabotabek's unification began last month after former state environment minister Emil Salim said that a governor with the authority level of a minister was needed to govern Greater Jakarta, which now houses at least 15 million people.
Emil said in a monthly lecture for city administration employees that a single management would be better and able to improve public services. Emil said such an improvement would be necessary for Jakarta, which will play an increasingly international role as a growth center in the Southeast Asian region. He estimated that by the 21st century, the population of Greater Jakarta will reach between 20 million and 25 million.
According to Emil, the unification concept would also support a decentralization program, which is urgent for economic autonomy to face upcoming competition.
West Java Governor R. Nuriana was against Emil's concept, which he said would create many problems.
Councilor Lukman F. Mokoginta said yesterday that one authority would be powerful in decision making.
"It would also be much simpler for the authorities of the four areas to coordinate their development programs," he added.
He said the faction has three alternatives to consider for the management of a merged Jabotabek.
"The first is to appoint Jakarta's governor as head of Greater Jakarta. He is responsible directly to the President. The second is appointing a coordinating minister who coordinates the development programs from both the West Java and Jakarta provincial administrations. The third is to include Bogor, Bekasi and Tangerang under Jakarta municipality authority," he said.
Under the third proposal, the governor of Jakarta would be responsible for development in those cities, he said. (yns)