T

he Jakarta administration has big plans for the Thousand Islands regency and is set to turn the islands into a flourishing tourist destination.

Governor Basuki '€œAhok'€ Tjahaja Purnama revealed such plans during a recent visit to the islands, his first official visit since taking office in the city in late in 2012. Ahok said the islands had potential that the city had thus far ignored and left untouched.

'€œAs an '€˜island person'€™ myself, I know that Thousand Islands has much potential, much more than my hometown in East Belitung. However, it'€™s a shame that the city administration has not promoted and developed Thousand Islands to its full potential,'€ Ahok said on Pramuka Island, one of the five islands he visited.

Ahok was born and raised in East Belitung, a regency known for its beaches and islands.

On the same day, he also attended a Regional Development Planning Forum (Musrenbang) where he held a discussion with the regency'€™s officials and residents. After the Musrenbang, Ahok spent the day on the Thousand Islands, visiting Panjang, Panggang, Karya and Onrust islands.

'€œThousand Islands'€™ infrastructure and transportation is disappointing and cannot accommodate the growing number of tourists. The docks and watercraft are in poor condition and there is no airstrip,'€ he said.

Ahok said next year'€™s city budget would allot funds to revamp a number of docks in North Jakarta and the Thousand Islands and procure boats to accommodate tourists. He said the city would also continue the development of an airstrip on Panjang Island, which had been halted for more than 10 years.

'€œWe will also cooperate with [state electricity firm] PLN to provide more electricity to the Thousand Islands. The current voltage is barely enough,'€ he said. PLN and city-owned developer PT Jakarta Propertindo are both set to develop gas-fired power plants on the islands next year.

Out of 110 islands, 39 are managed by the city administration, 11 of which are inhabited by locals, while 69 private islands or resorts are managed by private companies. Ahok said he would evaluate all the islands and planned to tender some islands to private companies to develop into tourist destinations. '€œWe will let private companies develop the islands but they cannot purchase the islands from us,'€ he said.

He also took the chance to reprimand Thousand Islands civil servants and officials, and asked them to work harder. Ahok said that he would increase allowances for the islands'€™ civil servants and increase take-home pay for cleaners, gardeners and boat drivers.

Thousand Islands Regent Tri Djoko Sri Margianto said that at the end of 2014, there were 23,278 residents in the regency. He revealed further that the number of tourists to the islands had increased from 1.49 million in 2013 to 3 million in 2014.

'€œI can only imagine how many more tourists we will have this year. Unfortunately, our transportation and infrastructure is still inadequate,'€ he said, adding that the city administration only owned 12 boats, two of which were broken.

There are also 38 affordable '€œtaxi'€ boats owned and operated by residents, most of which are in poor condition, and 32 boats owned by resorts and private companies.

'€œWe will begin fixing this step-by-step. If not, tourists will no longer want to come here,'€ he said.