Sutiyoso and garbage

As many of us know, the main problems that constantly bedevil our capital city, Jakarta, are its transportation system, flooding and garbage disposal. Unfortunately, the city administration and bureaucracy have never come up with any workable solutions to these problems, allowing them instead to grow and develop into a time bomb that could explode at any moment.

The teeming city of Jakarta produces an estimated 23,400 cubic meters of garbage per day. However, the city sanitation office can dispose of only 14,700 cubic meters of it at the dump. This means that some 8,700 cubic meters of garbage is left lying around, which means that in the space of one month, at least 260,000 cubic meters of garbage is left scattered about the city. Needless to say, this poses a very serious problem.

To be fair, the business of garbage disposal has never been well organized in Jakarta, and finding a suitable place to serve as a final dumpsite further complicates the problem. On the other hand, officials seem quite adept at finding excuses. Governor Sutiyoso, for example, says that the administration lacks trucks and personnel to carry the garbage. Ideally, the city needs 1,200 trucks and 15,000 personnel for the job. In reality, however, only 700 trucks are available and 3,000 people work for the sanitation agency.

Sutiyoso has given no specific explanation as to why the city administration has only 700 trucks and 3,000 personnel to dispose of the garbage produced in the five municipalities. But if money is the main problem, we suggest that the governor take another look at the proposed city budget now being considered by the Council. In the 2003 proposed budget, submitted by Sutiyoso to the Council several days ago, the administration proposes to spend Rp 214 billion-plus on the improvement of sanitation services, including the purchase of new garbage trucks.

Ironically, the budget also proposes annual allowances amounting to almost Rp 9.8 billion for the governor. Just to mention one of the items on the list: Rp 65 million for Sutiyoso's attire. With that money Sutiyoso could buy himself more than 65 uniforms, or some 30 business suits made from good- quality material. Two other astonishing allowances are for newspapers and magazines, amounting to a total of Rp 90 million, plus another Rp 90 million for coffee. It is difficult to imagine what kind and how many magazines and newspapers Sutiyoso subscribes to, and how many cups of coffee he consumes in a year.

The Rp 887 million set aside for "operational costs" and preparation of his official speeches also seems most irrational. The governor is also free to use Rp 100 million allocated for his annual health care, whether or not he or his wife become ill.

The money has yet to be cashed, but the point is that, with such a generous allowance, the city officials are demonstrating their total lack of a sense of crisis. City Hall officials in charge of the budget said that the governor deserved the money. Whether or not it is used is a different matter. Criticism of the proposed budget has already been voiced by several parties, including non-governmental organizations.

Responding to such criticism, Sutiyoso said that he would propose that the Council cancel the allowances and use the money to help the public instead. Hopefully, this is not merely an empty promise to gain more popularity or to build his image. Sutiyoso must prove the sincerity of his commitment to make the city more orderly and clean. He could write an official letter transferring some of the money, for example for the purchase of new garbage trucks, which cost around Rp 200 million each. The governor must initiate such a charitable move as it is unreasonable to expect his subordinates to do this. He could simply issue official letters authorizing his subordinates to transfer those of his allowances that he considers excessive to garbage management activities, including the purchase of trucks.

As the city administration has yet to initiate a single program to bid for more money to improve garbage handling, Sutiyoso's declaration, that he is willing to sacrifice at least part of his allowances in the public interest, should be made good. Even just one truck per year bought with the money would be a significant contribution to Jakarta. During the governor's five-year term in office, the city administration would be able to add five new garbage trucks to its fleet. But this would only happen if Sutiyoso were sincere in his statement. As for now, let's just wait and see.