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onflict between the Jakarta administration and a private company that manages Bantar Gebang landfill in Bekasi, West Java, has again risen its head, with local residents blocking the road to stop dump trucks from the capital from entering the area in protest at the city’s decision to take over management of the site.

The latest incident since a previous dispute in November last year led the administration to decide to take over the dump, which has been under private management for eight years.

Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama said after meeting with representatives of the Bekasi administration that the two administrations would work together to manage the Bantar Gebang landfill.

“The Bekasi administration has agreed no longer to employ third parties,” Ahok revealed.

The city administration handed over management of Bantar Gebang landfill in 2008 to PT Gondang Tua Jaya (GTJ); the city reportedly pays the firm annual dumping fees of Rp 400 billion (US$30 million). However, instead of properly managing the waste, GTJ is alleged simply to have dumped it.

The city administration has sent two letters to GTJ warning the company to fulfill its obligation to develop waste management technology as stated in the contract, which will expire in 2023.

However, the plan for the administration to take over management of the dump has sparked protest from nearby residents, who receive a small percentage of the dumping fee as compensation.

On Wednesday, local people blocked the road and stopped dump trucks from the city administration from entering Bantar Gebang, worried that they would no longer receive any payment.

Ahok said he would ask the police to resolve the problem. “We will report them to the police if they continue to stop our trucks from entering the site,” he said.

Jakarta Sanitation Agency head Isnawa Adji said the city would compensate locals through a community development scheme.

“Each family affected by the operation of Bantar Gebang will get compensation of Rp 500,000 every three months - that’s more than the Rp 300,000 every three months paid by the private company,” he said.

Isnawa said the city would also hire GTJ’s employees as contract workers on the Jakarta minimum wage of Rp 3.1 million.

He added that the city would include 6,000 trash pickers who work in Bantar Gebang on the National Health Insurance (JKN) program.

The agency head said he was now preparing the management switch-over while waiting for the company to answer the third warning letter.

“We sent the third warning letter on Tuesday. The company has 15 days to fulfil its obligations. If it fails to do so, we will immediately terminate the contract,” he said.

Isnawa said the company had failed to build waste treatment facilities, such as a gasification plant, as agreed to in a 2008 contract.

According to the contract, GTJ was to have finished construction of the facilities by 2011 with an investment of Rp 700 billion.

Bekasi Mayor Rahmat Efendi, who attended the meeting, said his administration supported any action taken by the city administration, including taking over Bantar Gebang.

GTJ lawyer Yusril Ihza Mahendra meanwhile said he was preparing a lawsuit against the administration.

“I have not received the third warning letter but I will immediately prepare for the lawsuit,” Yusril said as quoted by kompas.com.