WB to continue sanitation project

JAKARTA (JP): The World Bank has indicated its interest in continuing the clean water and sanitation program for Indonesian villages following a successful first phase, Minister of Health Achmad Sujudi announced recently.

Achmad said in his written response to a House of Representatives' inquiry that the government had named four of six possible provinces for the second phase of the program.

Talks with the bank on the continuation of the program remain underway and involve the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Settlement and Regional Development, the Ministry of Finance and the National Development Planning Board, Achmad said.

"We have identified deserving villages in East Java, West Nusa Tenggara, West Sumatra and South Sulawesi. The selection process of the other two provinces is underway," he said.

The first phase of the program, which is nearing its completion, targeted 1,995 villages in Central Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, East Nusa Tenggara, Central Java, Maluku and North Sulawesi, wherein a total of 53,584 latrines have been built.

Achmad said a recent study conducted by the University of Indonesia in Central Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi and East Nusa Tenggara, revealed that the sanitary project did improve health levels in the villages which benefited from the program.

"The clean water project has decreased the number of the diarrhea cases by 35 percent. At the same time the sanitation project dropped diarrhea cases by 28 percent," he said.

The program targets only villages classified as poor and remote. The World Bank loan covers 80 percent of the cost, with local residents contributing the rest in the form of cash and building materials.

Achmad said the residents were also responsible for the maintenance of the latrines. People using the facilities pay between Rp 500 (US$0.70) and Rp 2,500.

A household is subject to a Rp 50,000 fee for the piping of clean water. (04)