Residents ask city administration not to increase water rates
Residents ask city administration not to increase water rates
JAKARTA (JP): Citing the poor quality of tap water in the
area, residents of Cengkareng Timur subdistrict in West Jakarta
asked the city administration on Saturday not to raise the water
rates.
"The water is very turbid and there's lots of water lice in
it. My children have also come down with allergic skin reactions
because of it.
"The administration should first improve the quality of the
water before it raises the rates," Sri Rustini, a 37-year-old
housewife, told visiting officials from the PT PAM Lyonnaise Jaya
(Palyja) water utility.
Dedi Supardi, head of the RW 7 community unit of Cengkareng
Timur subdistrict, said that he had received many complaints of
such skin diseases.
Robert Sitorus, head of Palyja's West Jakarta operations, told
locals that his office would continue to improve water quality.
He said PT Palyja had targeted the signing up of 20,000
customers in Cengkareng Timur, Kapuk, and Pedongkelan
subdistricts within two years of the commencement of its
operations in these areas in June 1999.
"We've got 12,000 customers, already. Hopefully, we can get
the remaining 8,000 customers before the end of this year,"
Robert said.
Palyja plans to invest more than Rp 100 billion (US$10.5
million) this year for the improvement of water quality, as well
as the renovation and the extension of the water distribution
system.
Under its contract, which started in 1997, Palyja supplies tap
water to the western part of Jakarta, serving some 210,000
customers, while the British-based Thames Pam Jaya (TPJ) water
utility serves some 300,000 customers in the eastern part of the
city.
Despite the poor water quality, locals expressed their
gratitude as they have been enjoying cheaper water rates since
August of last year.
"Previously, we had to pay Rp 90,000 per month for water. Now,
we pay about Rp 30,000 per month," Dedi said.
The proposed water rates hike divides water consumers into
seven groups. The first, comprising charities and places of
worship, will face an average increase of 6.67 percent.
The second group, including government hospitals and "very
simple" households and apartments, as well as gas stations, will
be charged with a 6.04 percent increase.
The third group, comprising "simple" households and
apartments, will see their rates increase by 14.83 percent.
Meanwhile, "medium" households and apartments, the fourth
group, will have to pay an average increase of 30.32 percent.
The fifth group, which is to pay an average increase of 43.09
percent, covers "luxury" houses, embassies, government offices,
private institutes, colleges and universities, the military,
small businesses, luxury apartments, restaurants and private
hospitals.
A hike of 42.47 percent is proposed for the sixth group,
comprising star-rated hotels, nightclubs, banks, service
stations, high-rise buildings, factories and the vast Ancol
recreational park and real estate complex in North Jakarta.
Meanwhile, the Tanjung Priok seaport operator (which belongs
to the special seventh category) will face an increase of 34.62
percent.
Residents of the Cengkareng Timur area, which belongs to the
second group, will have to pay Rp 400 per cubic meter of water
compared to the present Rp 375. The last hike, of 25 percent, was
imposed in 1998. (04)