Seribu Islands regency to be inaugurated soon

JAKARTA (JP): The city administration will soon inaugurate the Seribu Islands as a new regency in Jakarta following the issuance of a government regulation on the establishment of the Seribu Islands regency, city spokesman Muhayat said on Monday.

Originally, the city administration was to have inaugurated the new regency on June 15, but that was postponed until the issuance of Government Regulation No. 55/2001 on July 3.

With the issuance of this government regulation, Muhayat said, Tangerang regency's claim to several islands in the Seribu Islands chain was no longer an issue.

The regulation confirms that all islands in the Seribu Islands come under the jurisdiction of the Jakarta administration.

Tangerang regency had earlier claimed that nine islands, located only four miles away from the Tangerang coastline, as coming under Tangerang jurisdiction. The claim was based on Law No. 22/1999 on Regional Autonomy.

The nine islands included Rambut, Karang, Laki, Cangkir, Bokor, Karang Tiga, Gosong, Untung Jawa and Ubi Kecil.

Muhayat said the city administration had presented a draft bylaw to the city council on the establishment of districts and subdistricts in the Seribu Islands.

The islands will have two districts, namely South Seribu Islands and North Seribu Islands, and six subdistricts, namely Kelapa, Tidung, Panggang, Harapan, Untung Jawa and Pari.

Currently, the Seribu Islands are a district of the North Jakarta mayoralty and are made up of four subdistricts.

The Seribu Islands have a total area of 69,976 square kilometers of which 9,214 square kilometers, or 13 percent, is land, while the remaining is sea.

According to the most recent census, the population of the Seribu Islands is 17,891 people, mostly impoverished fishermen and their families.

Article 7 of the government regulation states that the islands will be led by a regent who will be answerable to the city governor.

The regent will be assisted by a deputy regent who will be responsible to the regent.

Article 9 of the regulation stipulates that the regent is installed by the governor with the City Council's approval, but the deputy regent is appointed by the governor without the necessity of City Council approval. (jun)