Poverty remains in the heart of 'medern' Jakarta
Poverty remains in the heart of 'medern' Jakarta
Damar Harsanto and Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
In Central Jakarta where multinational companies, government
offices as well as most embassies are located, the Central
Jakarta municipality appears to be failing to solve the glaring
poverty the exists in the heart of the city, even though the
municipality is given priorities in development.
The latest report of the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS)
shows that the number of residents living below the poverty line
jumped sharply by 58 percent this year to 68,599 as compared to
around 45,000 last year.
As of Dec. 2004, the municipality had a population of at least
911,681.
BPS defines someone as poor if they fit at least three out of
eight defining criteria, including: living in a dwelling which is
less than eight square meters; a dirt floor instead of tiles or
cement; no access to clean water; no toilet; and a house with
walls made of plywood or cardboard.
The Jakarta Population Agency said earlier that rapid
development in Central Jakarta, which has created job
opportunities, was a magnet for unskilled migrants from cities
outside Jakarta. The migrants often end up working in the
informal sector as street vendors and small traders. With the
consequent low income, most of them are forced to reside in slums
or along the riverbanks.
According to a document on development of the Central Jakarta
Municipality from 2002 to 2007 made available to The Jakarta Post
on Friday, the municipal administration plans to reduce slums in
the region to 122 community units this year from 130 community
units in 2004.
"The municipal administration will also make extra effort to
reduce the number of poor families in the region to 22,000
families this year from 26,000 last year," the document says.
Head of the Central Jakarta Planning Board, Saptastri
Ediningtyas said the administration had prioritized this year
community empowerment programs, social safety net schemes as well
as policies to help generate job opportunities.
"As part of the poverty eradication scheme, we are
distributing cheap rice to poor families, 20 kilograms per family
at Rp 1,000 per kilogram, a scholarship program for poor students
and revolving funds to help small businesses," Saptastri was
quoted as saying by Jakarta's website Beritajakarta.com.
She acknowledged that valid data on the poor residents was
still a problem amid reports that some of the poverty alleviation
programs had failed to reach the needy.
"That's why we urge the officers at the district as well as
subdistrict levels to gather more accurate data," she emphasized.
Aside from poverty eradication measures, the administration
also plans to channel Rp 12 billion (US$1.34 million) into 10
selected subdistricts and two districts in the region in a 2005
pilot project to upgrade services to the residents.
If successful, the administration will extend the project to
all 267 subdistricts and 44 districts in 2006.
==================
sideline story
==================
Sumur Batu to handle own garbage, squatters
One of the recipients of Rp 1 billion in a pilot project to
upgrade public services, Sumur Batu subdistrict in Central
Jakarta, is focusing its one-year program on sanitation, while
creating jobs for its unemployed residents.
In the program, the residents will take over the task of
collecting the garbage and transporting it to the city dump. The
city government will pay them even after the program ends next
year.
In the project proposal jointly prepared by the administration
of Sumur Batu subdistrict and the City Administration Agency, the
subdistrict has targeted six other major programs, which are:
security and order, health, planning, social issues,
administrative work, and supervision of the activities of non-
governmental organizations.
Subdistrict head Bayu Meghantara said that the city had
prioritized sanitation, security and order as well as health
services, while proposing other projects crucial to his
residents.
"We have decided to fix the drainage system as one of our
projects to prevent flooding during the wet season," he told The
Jakarta Post on Saturday.
Other programs proposed by the subdistrict include the
establishment of several communication forums involving various
organizations -- youth organizations, public figures, school
committees, mosques, women's groups and the subdistrict council.
"Such forums are important so that we can communicate with all
elements in the society. With good communication, we can solve
various problems more easily," Bayu argued.
In the security and order program, the subdistrict will set a
mechanism to deal with floods, fire and dengue fever, besides
creating an environment free of drugs, brawls, gambling,
squatters, prostitution, illegal vendors and illegal car and
motorcycle races.
According to City Administrative Agency head Agus Salim Utud,
the pilot project would also aim at creating a more independent
subdistrict.
"With the funds, various tasks that are usually handled by
relevant city agencies -- health agency and public order agency
-- will be delegated to the subdistrict level," he told the Post
However, Bayu said he was still a bit nervous about managing a
project valued at Rp 1 billion.
"It is totally new. There is no example that I can refer to in
carrying out the programs." -- JP
Sumur Batu's seven main projects
No. Activity Budget (in rupiah)
----------------------------------------------------
1. Sanitation 228.8 million
2. Security and order 200 million
3. Health Services 80 million
4. Subdistrict planning 50 million
5. Subdistrict social 70 million
welfare activities
6. Subdistrict administrative 258 million
activities
7. Non-governmental 6 million
organization supervision
-------------------------------------------------
Total 892.8 million