Subdistricts to be vacated, phased out
JAKARTA (JP): City administration will phase out some subdistrict administrations in Jakarta due to the lack of residents.
H. Maskup Ustianto, assistant to the city secretary of public administration affairs, said over the weekend the subdistrict administrations to be phased out include the North Koja, Ancol and Pademangan subdistricts in the North Jakarta, Kemayoran and Senayan subdistricts in Central Jakarta.
Maskup said phasing out of the North Koja subdistrict will be conducted because the area will be used by Perum Pelabuhan II, the state-owned port company, to build a new cargo terminal expansion project.
The North Koja subdistrict, located adjacent to the Tanjung Priok container terminal, has been earmarked for a new cargo terminal extension site. Over 6,880 families, comprised of 32,785 residents, living in the 144-hectare area, will have to be relocated before construction begins.
The new terminal, which is currently being built at a cost of US$498-million, is the property of PT Pelindo and Humpuss Terminal Peti Kemas III, a company owned by President Soeharto's youngest son Hutomo Mandala Putra. The project is expected to start operations in October 1998.
Maskup said the phasing out of the Pademangan and Kemayoran subdistricts is aimed at making way for the construction of an apartment project and extension of the Jakarta Fair Kemayoran complex.
He added that the phasing out of Senayan subdistrict was done after the inhabitants were relocated because the land will be used for the construction of office buildings and a recreational center.
Governor Surjadi Soedirdja said earlier city administration will realign the subdistrict administration, including its personnel and building offices, in order to improve services.
City administration records show there are 265 subdistricts throughout Jakarta. Approximately 60 percent of the offices are in bad condition with limited personnel and are in inconvenient locations.
Full autonomy
During an interview with the Antara news agency on Friday, Maskup said in the next fiscal year, 1995/96, city administration will give all subdistricts in Jakarta full autonomy in arranging their own budgets, including managing their own spending and revenues.
He said part of the subdistricts' revenues will come from taxes and levies, such as lands and buildings, radio transmitters, dog ownerships and bicycles, which are paid by their residents.
Responding to a question concerning the possibility of imbalanced incomes acquired by each subdistrict due to the social and economic status of its residents, Maskup said there is no guarantee that subdistricts of affluent communities will have bigger incomes than others in lower income areas.
Maskup said, as a pilot project city administration has given 10 subdistricts greater freedom in managing their own budgets.
Subdistricts involved in the pilot project include Duren Sawit in East Jakarta, Pondok Pinang in South Jakarta, Jelambar Baru and South Kedoya in West Jakarta, Kampung Bali and Karang Anyar in Central Jakarta and Pejagalan in North Jakarta. (mas)