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n its 489th anniversary, Jakarta, a city of around 10 million people, still has long way to go to become a livable city. Worsening traffic and flooding problems and a lack of affordable housing are the three big issues facing the big durian.

Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama said during a special plenary meeting for the city’s 489th anniversary on Wednesday that he wanted solve the city’s major problems and create a clean and advanced Jakarta. Ahok said his administration was also trying to create a system of governance that was effective, efficient, transparent and credible.

“Officials should be professional, dedicated, loyal and honest,” he said.

He said traffic, flooding, the provision of clean water, waste management, poverty reduction, health and education and the provision of low-cost apartments were the crucial issues that needed to be faced.

On transportation, Ahok said the city had 12 Transjakarta corridors and six inter-corridor routes.

“We will add 20 more routes, including ones that mix regular traffic lanes and Transjakarta lanes,” he said, adding that the Transjakarta routes were being expanded to Greater Jakarta and would connect eight low-cost apartments to nearby train stations.

Many low cost apartments provided by the Jakarta administration like Rawa Bebek in East Jakarta and Marunda in North Jakarta are located on the outskirts of Jakarta without any public transportation.

Ahok said that besides bus transit, the city was now also building infrastructure for rail-based transportation services like the MRT and the LRT networks.

“The underground part of the MRT is 65 percent complete while the elevated part is 32 percent complete,” he said, referring to the first phase of the MRT connecting the Hotel Indonesia Traffic Circle in Central Jakarta with Lebak Bulus in South Jakarta.

He added that the MRT could be enjoyed by Jakartans within two to three years.

The city has also just commenced the first phase of the LRT system, connecting Pegangsaan in North Jakarta to Velodrome in East Jakarta. The 5.8 kilometer line will support the 2018 Asian Games.

Ahok also boasted of plans to provide more low-cost rental apartments, currently reserved for residents evicted from river banks and state land.

“We have built six towers and 18 apartment blocks with a total of 2,478 apartments,” he said.

He said the locations included KS Tubun in Central Jakarta, Cakung Barat in East Jakarta, Rawa Bebek and Rawa Buaya in West Jakarta.

Ahok said the city administration was also building child-friendly public spaces (RPTRA) in order to create a child-friendly city.

He said the RPTRA would be funded by private companies through so-called Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) schemes. The city now has 73 RPTRA.

“The Jakarta Housing and Administration Building Agency will build 150 more [RPTRA] this year,” he said.

City Council Speaker Prasetio Edi Marsudi said during the plenary meeting that he wanted the city administration to be more inclusive.

“A clean Jakarta does not only mean clean rivers but also officials clean of corruption,” he said.

He said an advanced Jakarta did not only mean more sky scrapers but also improvements in the livelihood and welfare of low-income people.

Prasetio also criticized the inability of the city administration to manage its finances. The city administration has received bad grades from the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) for three years in a row, he noted.

Prasetio said the last audit report from the BPK showed that there were irregularities worth around Rp 30 trillion (US$2.25 billion).

“Rp 14.5 trillion in assets have not been validated and assets from the Education Agency, worth some Rp 15.2 trillion, are also considered unreasonable,” he said.

The speaker also reminded the city administration that the City Council was part of the administration.

Home Minister Tjahjo Kumolo, who attended the plenary meeting, said he hoped the governor, deputy governor and the City Council could cooperate in running the administration.

“I hope the governor and the deputy will be close with one another, even though next year is a political year,” he said.

He also said that no matter who won the gubernatorial election, the figure should be able to solve the city’s problems.