TPJ urged not to cut water supply

TPJ urged not to cut water supply

JAKARTA: The City Council urged water operator PT Thames PAM
Jaya (TPJ) not to cut the water supply to low-cost apartments in
Klender, East Jakarta, stressing that the tenants should not
become victims of alleged corruption by the management.

"We hope that TPJ is patient as we hope there is still a way
out of the problem," Chairman of the Council Commission D for
development affairs Koeswadi Soesilohardjo told a hearing on
Monday.

Early last month TPJ threatened to cut water supply to the
apartments as its old management was in arrears for 32 months,
and owed Rp 411 million (US$47,400) in outstanding water bills.

A deadline of May 30 has been set.

At the hearing attended by officials from TPJ, and the current
and former management of the apartments, deputy head of former
management Hendra S. Husen revealed that some Rp 1 billion had
allegedly been stolen from the bills paid by the tenants.

TPJ sells water to the apartments' management for Rp 375 per
cubic meter and the former management of the apartment sold it to
tenants for Rp 850 per meter cubic.

Hendra said the case was reported to the police early in
April.

Koeswadi invited the interested parties to come to another
hearing on June 6 to try to resolve the problem.--JP