Letter: Komodo and poverty in NTT

I refer to “Govt ramps up drive to secure Komodo park nature honor,” (the Post, Jan. 4).

I wish the government would spend the same effort on developing the province of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), the poorest and most neglected province of the country.

The capital city of Kupang is also among the most corrupt cities in the country according to Transparency International, a position it has held for many years.

Kupang has no proper clean water system. Infrastructure such as roads and government office buildings are not well-maintained and falling apart.

The city-owned hospital, which was recently upgraded, has very poor sanitation and a poor water supply, no reliable electricity and there is total chaos and anarchy in traffic on the streets.

Mayor Daniel Adoe is incapable of managing city affairs and development.

He and the city councilors are at each others throats instead of focusing attention to the needs of their constituents.

It is a very sad story where Adoe can and does call the shots with nobody able or willing to stop him. Kupang, over the past decade, has gone backward at an alarming pace.

Henry Manoe
Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara