Sutiyoso satisfied with district performance

JAKARTA (JP): Governor Sutiyoso expressed his satisfaction on Thursday after finding that City Hall employees at district levels had been very responsive to his commitment to improve public services.

After his inspections of the Kebayoran Lama and Pondok Pinang district heads' offices in South Jakarta, Sutiyoso said all the staffers in charge of health, burials, identity (ID) cards and building permits had shown remarkable work.

The inspection was important for the governor who will make his second accountability speech to the City Council in January, after the first speech in April was rejected. The council said in April that Sutiyoso failed to curb corruptive, collusive and nepotistic (KKN) practices in City Hall and that public services were still poor.

The governor then promised to improve his work by, among other things, reducing the bureaucracy for the issuance of building permits and eliminating illegal fees in ID card applications. He also promised to improve health services at the community health centers.

The city administration also planned to field an independent team to see how far the districts and subdistricts have responded to his pledge to improve public services.

Sutiyoso promised the City Council in April that by the end of this year 10 district heads' offices would be able to process and issue building permits. "At present, 30 of the total 42 district heads' offices in the city are ready for the service.

During the inspection, Sutiyoso was assured that the burial permit applications had become very simple. He cited the burial application service at the Tanah Kusir public cemetery where now only one authorized foundation is in charge.

In the past, in many districts, there were a lot of red-tape involved in having the deceased buried.

"How much do you have to pay for a new ID card?" Sutiyoso asked a man applying for an ID card at the Pondok Pinang district head's office.

"Rp 1,000, sir," the man replied. Sutiyoso looked satisfied, but said he wanted ID card applications made gratis.

"I have yet to be able to make the ID card issuance free of charge. Until now the City Council has yet to issue a city bylaw on the new regulation (for the free service)," Sutiyoso said.

In another encounter with a resident at a Kebayoran Lama health center, Sutiyoso asked the man if he could see the doctor at anytime during working hours. "Yes, Sir," said the man.

In many areas in the country, public health centers, known as Puskesmas, have been notorious for their poor service. Many doctors posted at health centers are halfhearted in serving the public.

"In general, some of my requirements have been met despite several constraints," Sutiyoso said after the inspection but he did not say if he were optimistic that his second accountability speech next year would be accepted by the council. (dja)