Water firms try to improve services

Urip Hudiono, Jakarta

A member of the Water Users Committee (KPAM) told the Central Jakarta District Court on Wednesday that the city's water firm, PT Thames PAM Jaya (TPJ), had put in an effort to improve the quality of its service, although the benefits had yet to fully reach its customers.

"When a leak occurred some time ago on a water pipe at Jl. Dewi Sartika, East Jakarta, it took a long time and persistent complaints from customers before TPJ finally repaired it.

"However, when a leak recurred on the same pipe, TPJ dispatched its repair team within half-an-hour to resolve the problem," said Maiyefni Mansyur, chairman of KPAM's East Jakarta chapter.

Mansyur was asked by TPJ to testify in a civil lawsuit filed by the Jakarta Water Consumers Community (Komparta) against foreign water firms TPJ and PT PAM Lyonnaise Jaya (Palyja).

During the trial, TPJ also submitted in evidence data showing its accomplishments in improving and expanding the water pipe network in its area of operations.

TPJ is a joint venture between city-run water operator PD PAM Jaya and British holding company Thames Water International, which serves water users to the east of the capital's Ciliwung River.

Palyja, meanwhile, is a joint venture between PAM Jaya and French firm Lyonnaise des Eaux, serving customers to the west.

However, Mansyur, who was a PAM customer even before the joint venture, said that many were still expecting more benefit from TPJ's undertaking to improve its customer service, particularly in the availability and quality of water.

"We are also demanding that TPJ fully make good any roadside excavations carried out for work to its water pipes," he said, although he acknowledged that responsibility for this was partially that of the city public works agency, too.

Meanwhile, when asked by presiding judge Soeripto what KPAM's connection was with Komparta, Mansyur said that KPAM was a different consumer group, although the two were now coordinating with each other to advocate water users' rights.

Komparta has been in a legal row with TPJ and Palyja, following the continual raising by the companies of their rates, despite complaints from customers that they had done nothing to improve the quality of their service.

The consumer group is asking that the rate hikes be canceled and that the companies provide better service to their customers.

The trial was adjourned until June 9 to hear witnesses from Palyja.