T

he government has handed over several state assets, including properties and drinking water treatment systems, to regional administrations with the hope they will be better maintained.

The assets, with a total value of Rp 141.7 billion (US$10.1 million), were handed over to 32 municipalities and regencies.

'€œWe hope the municipalities and the regencies will better manage and maintain those assets,'€ Public Works and Public Housing Ministry secretary-general Taufik Widjoyono said in a press conference on Thursday.

Taufik said that transferring the ownership of the assets from the central government to the city and regency administrations was aimed at better meeting the public'€™s basic needs.

In the drinking water sector, the government handed over assets worth Rp 50.1 billion to 12 cities and regencies, including Kulonprogo (Yogyakarta), Pidie, Aceh Singkil, Simelue, Aceh Jaya (Aceh), Lubuk Linggau (South Sumatra) and Tanah Bumbu (South Kalimantan).

Meanwhile in the sanitation sectors, the total value of the assets handed over reached Rp 38.2 billion. The assets are located in Karawang (West Java), Pinrang (South Sulawesi) and Aceh Tamiang (Aceh).

Several cities and regencies, including Kupang (East Nusa Tenggara) and Jepara (Central Java), also received assets in the form of low-cost apartments that had a total value of Rp 29.5 billion.

Assets with a total value of Rp 23.8 billion in the form of buildings and green spaces were also handed over to 10 cities and regencies, including Garut and Bandung in West Java, Bintan (Riau), Pariaman (West Sumatra), Bantul and Gunung Kidul (Yogyakarta) and Nabire in Papua.

Additionally, the ministry gave the ownership of some roads to Cilacap and Blora in Central Java.