We must improve the city's image: Governor

We must improve the city's image: Governor

JAKARTA (JP): Governor Sutiyoso urged residents of slum areas
across the capital to help maintain security in Jakarta to
restore the image of the city which was tarnished by the May 1998
riots and several violent incidents that followed.

"During my official trips abroad, people always ask me whether
my citizens still like looting or not.

"That kind of remark is very embarrassing for me," Sutiyoso
told residents living in the Rawa Bunga slum area of East Jakarta
on Monday.

According to the governor, all Jakartans should work hand in
hand to maintain peace in the capital so that Jakarta can quickly
recover from its economic condition and improve its image in the
eyes of the international community.

The retired three-star military general stressed the
importance of image in the country's efforts to attract foreign
investors to the capital, which would in turn boost the capital's
economic engine.

"During the Inter-Parliamentary Union conference last week,
many of the participating delegates praised Jakarta on the
disappearance of beggars from the major streets of the capital,"
Sutiyoso said.

"Frankly, it's simply because I have raided those areas and
removed the beggars from the streets that were to be passed
through by the visiting foreign delegates.

"I had no choice but to raid those street areas simply to
provide a good impression of the capital (to the visiting foreign
guests)," he remarked.

Following the grim 1998 riots, when the looting and burning of
dozens of buildings occurred in several parts of the capital by
mobs who mostly targeted shopping and business centers, many
people, including foreigners, still consider Jakarta an unsafe
city to visit and invest in.

Lately, the image of Jakarta has darkened even further with
the growing trend of mob violence where people prefer to kill and
burn alive suspected criminals than turn them into the police.

Violent clashes between police personnel and protesters have
added another gloomy tone to the city's image, further
discouraging potential investors from opening new businesses
which has added to the city's unemployment problem.

Sutiyoso strongly hopes that all residents would be willing to
pledge not to take part in anarchic actions, such as looting and
arson, if they are serious about improving the capital's image
which could in turn improve their quality of life.

"If people still think that Jakarta is unsafe then they won't
be willing to run businesses here and many more people will be
out of work because businesses will close their offices," he
said.

"I promise that the City Administration will try its best to
improve the people's welfare.

"For poor Jakartans, I'll double the funds for them in next
year's budget," he added.

In the city budget for the year 2000, the City Administration
has allocated some Rp 45 billion (US$5 million) for 15
subdistricts in the capital to be used in the poverty eradication
program.

The funds were used to provide free short courses, among other
things, such as cooking or hairdressing for local communities or
distributed to those who wanted to open small-scale businesses in
an effort to improve their lives.

Sutiyoso urged Jakartans to help control the use of the budget
to ensure a transparency in spending later.

"Ask your subdistrict chief about the funds and if something
seems to have gone wrong you should report it to me," the
governor said. (dja)