Sutiyoso tells project officials to be honest

JAKARTA (JP): Governor Sutiyoso yesterday ordered his officials to act with integrity while implementing the city's short-term labor-intensive projects designed to ease unemployment.

"I believe if we stick together, we can survive this troubled time.

"I urge all officials dealing with this program to be honest... Don't deduct any of the wages that are supposed to be earned by the workers," the governor said after visiting one of the city's employment programs in Jagakarsa, South Jakarta.

He said that he would punish any official found guilty of manipulating program finances.

The program, which started some of its projects last week, is part of the city's efforts to hire a large number of blue-collar workers who have been recently laid off due to the monetary crisis.

Most of the program's laborers are working on several of the city's development projects, including its greening campaign, flood prevention program and clean river project.

So far, the city administration has received some Rp 4.2 billion (US$525,000) from the National Development Planning Board (Bappenas) to pay for the workers' wages.

"For the first phase of this employment program, we'll hire 6,250 workers in each of the city's five mayoralties. Every worker is set to receive a net income of Rp 7,500 per day," Sutiyoso said.

The governor said he would ask for a thorough financial report after the completion of the program because of poor 'habits' and 'tendencies' of some city officials of illegally cutting workers' wages for their own interests.

"Be honest. Feel some pity for low-income workers. I don't want to hear about another financial manipulation case. So, you all have to make sure that the workers get what they deserve," Sutiyoso told his officials as Minister of Manpower Abdul Latief, who joined the visit, watched from behind.

While making a stop in West Jakarta's Kamal area, Sutiyoso was informed by Mayor Sutardjianto that the program in his mayoralty would involve 750 workers.

The first 500 would be employed in labor-intensive waterworks, tree planting and road repair projects in Cengkareng, while the remaining 250 laborers would work in Kalideres, said the mayor.

"Besides easing unemployment, the program is also meant to hire students who cannot continue in their studies," Sutardjianto said.

He said that the projects would also employ a number of migrant workers.

"But some of them have gone back to their hometowns since the rainy season (a time for harvesting crops) has already come," Sutardjianto said.

Talking to flood prevention program officials in Jagakarsa, Governor Sutiyoso also vowed to do his best -- in cooperation with the Ministry of Manpower -- to reverse the flow of blue- collar workers to the city and have many return to their hometown.

"Jakarta is being hit the hardest by the unemployment crisis because it has been flooded by people who are suffering from the drought in their villages... and have ended up here only to burden the city.

"Besides giving them proper jobs, we also plan to send them back to their hometowns," Sutiyoso said.

He said the program would run for only 80 days.

After that, the city would again request a new funding package for the program from Bappenas.

"The city is also trying hard to collect money for the program... A special fundraising event might help to do that. But the most visible choice is to ask Bappenas for more funds."

Meanwhile, Minister Abdul Latief urged the city to further improve its informal sector to act as a safety valve in dealing with the unemployment crisis.

"I've talked to the governor and he has agreed to support the informal job sector by doing things such as creating more space for legal sidewalk vendors." Latief said. (edt/ind)