Sutiyoso builds monuments, people stay poor

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Jakartans can easily recount the promises made by media-savvy Governor Sutiyoso for the city in 2005 by delving into his well- documented statements in various media.

But, asking which promises and plans have been materialized by his administration raises more concerns on unfulfilled promises and unmet plans than satisfaction over achievements.

When presenting the city's 2005 budget draft to the City Council on Dec. 13, 2004, Sutiyoso spelled out five priorities of his administration for 2005.

The priorities were law enforcement, professionalism among city apparatuses, the betterment of the people's economy, the fulfillment of people's basic needs in health and education and a healthy urban life.

A significant rise in 2005's budget to Rp 14 trillion, up from Rp 11 trillion in 2004, was also accompanied by an increase in the budgetary allocation for public service improvement. Unfortunately, no significant improvements in day-to-day services appear to be on the horizon.

While the city enjoys an increase in budget, currently nearly fivefold from that of 2000, when the city budget only hovered at Rp 3.38 trillion, residents here continue to experience the same problems, including flooding, evictions, undernourishment and unemployment.

Over 20,000 residents had to flee their homes for temporary shelters as floods hit again in January, killing a resident and paralyzing the city for at least two days.

The number of poor households hovers at 101,000 this year, just the same as 2001's figure.

In the meantime, in what could be called a glaring show of insensitivity, Sutiyoso's administration did not hesitate to spend Rp 26 billion for a Las Vegas-style water fountain project in the National Monument (Monas) park to enliven the city's 478th anniversary, just as 8,455 of the total 923,000 children in the city were in desperate need of nutritious food.

Aggressive developments are ubiquitous across the city, but poverty lingers at the very heart of the metropolis.

Mismanagement, inefficiency and corruption are still rampant, with little effort taken to address the residents' problems.

Unconventional episodes were the order of the day in 2005. A drunk public order officer, who was still donning his uniform, attempted to steal a cab in September. In February, another senior public order shot dead a gang member at point-blank range. Some senior officials are reportedly involved in graft cases, including the forgery of operational licenses for taxis.

Unfortunately, most undisciplined civil servants have been left unpunished, while Sutiyoso's repeated threats of demotion or dismissal for "bad" officers appears to be a bluff.

It is no wonder that major backlogs of big project programs are evident this year, with Sutiyoso putting the blame squarely on his subordinates' poor performance.

The land acquisition program for the East Flood Canal project, the development of high-tech waste treatment facilities in the capital, transportation and parking projects are among those that have been proceeding slower than first hoped.

The rate of progression of the East Flood Canal, which has been on the drawing board since the time of former governor Ali Sadikin in 1973, has been just as slow. The canal aims at helping mitigate flooding in the eastern part of Jakarta.

The 23.6-kilometer canal, worth Rp 5 trillion, has been strongly opposed by residents whose properties are affected by the project. Landowners are also demanding higher compensation from the administration.

Sutiyoso's administration has also found it difficult to reduce its dependence on the Bantar Gebang dump in Bekasi, where it has been disposing of a massive 6,000 tons of garbage every day for more than 15 years.

The city's only waste treatment plant, built by a private company in Bojong, Bogor, West Java, has not been able to operate to date following objections from people living in the area.

Critics have also blasted the slow progress made by Sutiyoso's administration in improving the public transportation system in the city, including the unclear fate of the Mass Rapid Transit and the slow development of additional busways.

The City Parks Agency and City Forestry Agency have also been criticized for their failure to increase the percentage of green spaces to keep pace with the city's target of 13.9 percent out of the capital's total area of 650 square kilometers by 2010.

Environmentalists estimate that green spaces in Jakarta alone account for 9 percent of the city's area, with an apparent trend of continuous shrinking in size.

Of course, some of Sutiyoso's projects and programs are worthy of praise, especially programs that focus on the empowerment of the residents and strengthen the arm of subdistricts and districts offices, which are at the frontline of public service delivery.

The city administration has earmarked Rp 267 billion for Subdistrict Residents Empowerment Scheme (PPMK) funds to be given to 50 subdistricts and 10 districts this year.

The fund could also be used to finance infrastructure projects in subdistricts, social assistance and the empowerment of small entrepreneurs through a micro-credit scheme.