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