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.

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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