Subdistricts to be vacated, phased out

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)