Governor Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo asked for central government support on Tuesday for three of Jakarta'€™s main programs during the opening of the Regional Development Planning Forum (Musrenbang) at City Hall.

'€œWe have several joint programs with the central government, such as the construction of reservoirs in Bogor [West Java], the mass rapid transit [MRT] project and the sewerage system project. I want support from the central government,'€ Jokowi told the audience, which included National Development Planning Minister Armida Alisjahbana and Home Ministry secretary-general Diah Anggraeni.

Knowing that he might not be at the office next year, Jokowi reiterated that the city administration should focus on productive programs and avoid purely ceremonial events. '€œShow the public that Jakarta has changed. Every product should be beneficial to the people. Let'€™s make breakthroughs,'€ he said in his speech at City Hall.

The governor also pointed out infrastructure projects, including the construction and maintenance of roads, bridges, reservoirs, waterways and flood controls, as projects which should get more attention from the city'€™s bureaucrats.

Jokowi also urged local leaders to pay attention to public facilities across the capital. '€œDon'€™t give up on getting rid of graffiti. Monitor our assets well so squatters won'€™t occupy them,'€ he said.

Armida also presented the central government'€™s ongoing process of compiling the National Middle-Term Development Plan (RPJMN) for 2015-2019. '€œOur main target is becoming a middle-income country with a higher number of productive people compared to non-productive people and to achieve sustainable development,'€ she said.

The minister pointed out that the RPJMN set a poverty rate of between 6 percent and 8 percent. '€œBut if the next president wants to be more aggressive, we can reset the figure,'€ Armida said.

The minister also said that the central government was currently identifying reservoirs with a view to developing renewable energy.

'€œWe aim to build hydro power plants, some of which will be first used at airports, particularly those which are still managed by the Transportation Ministry,'€ she said.

Diah stressed that regional administrations should create programs based on middle-term development plans. She said an evaluation of 2013 regional budgets showed that 14.7 percent of programs in the regional middle-term development planning bylaw were not included in the city'€™s budgets.

Regional Development Planning (Bappeda) head Andi Baso pointed out, however, that thus far the city administration'€™s priority programs were in line with those of the central government.

Deputy Governor Basuki '€œAhok'€ Tjahaja Purnama said that infrastructure projects in relation to flood mitigation and traffic management were still among the city administration'€™s priority programs this year.

Later in the day, Jokowi inspected the construction of a kampung deret [village of row houses] project in Cipinang Besar Selatan, Jatinegara, East Jakarta. '€œOf the 97 houses, 11 of them are nearly completed and only need finishing touches,'€ he said.

Jokowi said that this year the city administration would continue the program in 70 locations, up from 26 last years.

Jokowi also inspected an MRT project site in Dukuh Atas, Central Jakarta, where an MRT station will be built.

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