City Rp 40b grant to improve neighbors' education, health

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Thu, 10/04/2007 3:54 PM | Jakarta

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Jakarta granted a total fund amount of Rp 40 billion (approximately US$4.4 million) Wednesday to improve education and health services in eight of its satellite cities, including cities and municipalities of Bogor, Depok, Bekasi and Cianjur in West Java, and Tangerang in Banten.

In his speech, Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso said the cities and municipalities received Rp 5 billion each.

He said in the education sector, the funds were aimed at renovating elementary and junior high school buildings to improve students' learning environments and motivate teachers.

Meanwhile, in the health sector, the fund was expected to help the satellite cities provide much needed facilities to improve health services by, among others, establishing community health centers, he said.

""I hope the health centers can help us reduce the number of outbreaks of communal diseases,"" Sutiyoso said before the satellite cities' mayors and regents in attendance.

The grant, Sutiyoso said, was one of Jakarta's attempts to develop partnerships with its surrounding areas.

He also reminded the audience of the importance of the megacity concept, which, according to him, would be able to solve a number of problems faced by Greater Jakarta.

""I was really disappointed by the rejection of the megacity concept (in a 2007 Jakarta administrative law). I've offered three options: the megacity could be led by the Jakarta governor alone, since other regions are headed by mayors and regents; by Jakarta, Banten and West Java governors combined; or by an institution with the same authority as state ministries.""

According to Sutiyoso, Jakarta's surrounding areas have up until now only received ""byproducts"" of the capital, but with the megacity concept ""they would be able to gain good impacts"".

""With the megacity concept, the macro transportation network (including a subway, busway, waterway and monorail system) would reach Depok, Bogor, Tangerang and Bekasi, which would trigger developments in these areas as they would become more accessible.""

He added the concept could also solve waste problems and flooding in Greater Jakarta.

Sutiyoso gave examples of the success of a megacity concept, as adopted by Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur, India's New Delhi and some U.S. cities.

""What we can see now is a wide gap between Jakarta and its surrounding areas and we're concerned about this; it's one of the reasons we provided the fund,"" he said.

Talking to reporters after the ceremony, Tangerang regent Ismet Iskandar said the eight satellite city administrations had earlier requested a Rp 10 billion fund each.

""We planned to set aside Rp 6 billion for health services and Rp 4 billion for education services. But as we only received Rp 5 billion, we will have to take the other 5 billion from our own budgets,"" Ismet said.

Jakarta introduced the health and education grant program last year by distributing a total Rp 24 billion in funding to the eight satellite cities, which each received Rp 3 billion.

Ismet said his administration had used the fund to renovate three school buildings and build two health centers in the regency. (11)

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