'Develop regions to help reduce migration'

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Sat, 10/20/2007 4:03 PM

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Local administrations nationwide should rigorously develop their regional economies in order to reduce the rate of migration to big cities, sociologists say.

Paulus Wirotomo, a sociologist at the University of Indonesia, said the movement of people could not be stopped due to the huge development and economic gaps between large and small cities.

""Slow development in small cities and regencies has made people come to bigger cities to improve their lives,"" he told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

""This is actually fine, but migration has to be spread equally throughout small, moderate and big cities. Therefore, local administrations have to be able to develop their resources so that they can provide as many work opportunities as possible.""

He said the central government should also pay more attention to the efforts of local administrations.

""Regional autonomy in Indonesia is still a loose concept, so the government should evaluate the work of local administrations regularly and support them as well,"" he said.

Paulus said Jakarta, as the primary destination for domestic migrants, should cooperate with regions in areas such as basic skills training so potential migrants may decide to stay where they are to seek work.

Meanwhile, Gumilar Rusliwa Somantri, a professor of urban sociology from the University of Indonesia, said urbanization had exacerbated the impact of mudik (going to one's hometown to celebrate a holiday) as those living in urban centers left in large masses at the same time each year.

""This tradition can never be removed from this country, at least not in the next 20 years, because the exodus reflects the centralized economy and political system,"" Gumilar told the Post.

He said the government should facilitate the activities of local administrations with clear regulations and pilot projects that could enhance people's welfare.

""If coordination for developing potential resources, eradicating poverty, land reforms and people's empowerment succeeds, the exodus should be able to decrease gradually,"" he said.

Every Idul Fitri, millions of Indonesians travel to their hometowns to strengthen ties with their families and relatives. This turns Jakarta, with most of its residents coming from out of town, into a kind of a ghost town.

Usually, some holidaymakers attempt to bring their relatives back to Jakarta to try their luck, despite the fact they have no skills to offer.

""We cannot fully blame them, because if their regions had facilities similar to Jakarta's, they would not come here to find work,"" Paulus said.

Yayat Supriatna, a spatial planning expert from Trisakti University, said a lack of adequate infrastructure had left small cities and regions behind Jakarta and other regional centers in the country.

""Small to medium cities do not have proper infrastructure, energy and human resources, so many investors hesitate to invest there, which then hampers the development of those places,"" Yayat said.

He said that according to National Spatial Planning regulations, Indonesia has around 111 collateral areas that have the potential to develop, but only a few have succeeded.

""Batam in the Riau Islands province is an example of such area. Bitung in North Sulawesi and Semarang in Central Java are cities that have adequate infrastructure and energy, but they're not well managed yet,"" Yayat said. (13)

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