'Plans on waste welcomed'

JAKARTA (JP): The Governor said he would approve any plan to cooperate with the city in waste management, as long as it did not burden the city.

Assistant to the city secretary in charge of economic and development affairs, Prawoto S. Danoemihardjo, said the Governor would also approve plans to recycle garbage into building materials.

He was speaking after a meeting between the governor and a private foundation for retired soldiers, Yayasan Rehabilitasi Prajurit Utama Seroja (Veteran's Foundation).

The foundation proposes to cooperate with Canada's Urban Resources Technologies Incorporation to recycle city garbage.

Surjadi Soedirdja had not made a decision on the proposal, Prawoto said.

"The governor said there should be a serious study before starting garbage recycling cooperations," Prawoto said after the meeting.

The joint venture would open a recycling factory with the capacity to recycle two million cubic meters of garbage a day in Pluit, North Jakarta. The Canadian firm's recycling technology would be used to process garbage into building materials, like bricks.

Earlier Surjadi denied any knowledge of plans for a private Malaysian firm, Bescorp Industries, to manage city waste. (ste)