Tangerang looks into proposed municipality

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

Responding to public demands for the establishment of a Cipasera municipality in Banten, the Tangerang council and regent, Ismet Iskandar, have called for a thorough study into the proposal.

"An objective study must be conducted by an independent team to determine whether or not the six districts in question can be merged into one municipality," Tangerang council deputy speaker Arief Wahyudi said on Saturday.

Public pressure has been increasing for the establishment of Cipasera municipality, which would comprise Ciputat, Pamulang, Serpong, Pondok Aren, Cisauk and Pagedangan districts in Banten.

"We will not reject the idea if it is truly the wish of the people. The council suggests that a thorough study be conducted and it should cover all aspects of life in the six districts," he said.

Currently, the six districts are part of Tangerang Regency, and are believed to contribute up to 40 percent of Tangerang's Rp 369 billion (US$41 million) in annual revenue.

Regent Ismet, meanwhile, said that the setting up of Cipasera municipality must be based on the wishes of the people so that the management of the new city would be really aimed at improving public welfare and well-being.

"There are numerous aspects that need to be taken into account in relation to attempts to merge the six districts into a new town," he said without elaborating.

The establishment of a new province, regency or municipality must be based on a law deliberated and endorsed by the House of Representatives.

The Post observed on Saturday that residents of the six districts were still divided over the idea of establishing a new municipality.

Those who want to establish the new municipality express their support though stickers reading Cipasera Kotaku (Cipasera is my town). The stickers could, for example, be seen on public transportation minivans operating in the six districts.

Those who oppose the idea, however, express their rejection through banners reading Belum saatnya Ciputat, Pamulang, Serpong Pondok Aren pisah dari Tangerang (It's not the time for Ciputat, Pamulang, Serpong, Pondok Aren, Ciasuk and Pagedangan to split from Tangerang.

Hidayat Suhali, secretary-general of the Joint Committee for the Establishment of Cipasera Municipality, said the committee, along with the coordinating body for the establishment of Cipasera municipality, had conducted a study into the proposal, which he said showed that Cipasera was capable of becoming a municipality.

"The only major thing that Cipasera lacks is a five-star hotel," he told the Post.