`Public access to water a basic human right'

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A non-governmental organization has asked the House to make a fundamental change to the water resource bill by stating that access to water is a basic human right, saying the principle will prevent discrimination against people regarding water services.

Nila Ardhianie of the Indonesian Forum on Globalization (Infog) said water as a basic human right had been recognized by the United Nations since November 2002 as stipulated in the international covenant on economic, social and cultural rights.

"But this country's policy on water contradicts the covenant as it will give a greater role to private firms to manage water," she said on Friday after a discussion to mark World Environment Day.

World Environment Day, which fell on Thursday, was themed: "Water, two billion people are dying for it!"

Infog has long criticized the government's plan to privatize water management, which is justified by the water resource bill.

Infog said that water privatization would only allow the rich to enjoy water services as they have the money to pay for the service.

The NGO also said that private companies would not place public interests as their main goal.

The House is currently deliberating the water resource bill, but it does not expect to complete the debate during the current sitting period, which will end in mid-July.

According to Nila, water as a human right should be treated with non-profit principles, without having to inflict losses to water management.

"I think the government should tackle water services to ensure that all people have equal access to water," she said.

Besides, with the government managing water, people would still have the authority to control the service. If private firms take over the management, shareholders instead of the public will be in control, she said.

Some 95 percent of water management around the world is run by the government, including that of developed countries except for England and France.

"Therefore there is no solid grounds for the government to give a greater role to private firms in managing water," she said.

Business Watch Indonesia (BWI) also agreed with Infog.

It said in its report that water, along with non-manufactured goods or public goods like education, health and electricity, should be provided by the state and the service should reach as many people as possible without discrimination.

Consequently, the management of the public goods must be conducted under a non-profit principle, it said.

Nila further said the bill must also clearly stipulate that water services would reach the poor.

The use of water resource, Nila added, should not harm the ecosystem.

President Megawati Soekarnoputri admitted on Thursday that despite scarcity and poor access to water, people had failed to show consistency and discipline to help improve conditions.

The country's report on water said at least 80 percent of Indonesia's 215 million people have no access to safe and clean piped water.

Many fear that the water problem would serve as a pretext for the government to allow private companies to provide tap water to people, by giving them a greater role to manage water.