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Jakarta Post

Fauzi claims success in managing Jakarta

Four years into his tenure, Fauzi Bowo claimed that he has had a successful term as governor, saying that Jakarta has vastly improved under his administration, highlighting the city’s economic growth and improved revenue, both of which surpassed initial targets

Andreas D. Arditya (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Wed, April 6, 2011

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Fauzi claims success in managing Jakarta

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our years into his tenure, Fauzi Bowo claimed that he has had a successful term as governor, saying that Jakarta has vastly improved under his administration, highlighting the city’s economic growth and improved revenue, both of which surpassed initial targets.

Fauzi said in his accountability report before the City Council on Tuesday that Jakarta recorded 6.51 percent economic growth in 2010, higher than the country’s national growth of 6.10 percent and higher than the targeted 6.20 percent. The city recorded 5.02 percent economic growth in 2009.

He said the city’s inflation is also low.

“Although the city recorded 6.21 percent inflation last year, higher then the targeted 6 percent, it was still lower than the national inflation rate of 6.96 percent,” Fauzi said in his speech.

The economic growth and inflation rates have led to an increase in income, as reflected by the surge in per capita regional gross domestic product, rising from US$7,890 in 2009 to $9,880 (Rp 85.9 million)
last year.

Fauzi also said his administration managed to cut the open unemployment rate from 12.15 percent to 11.05 percent and reduced the number of poor from 323,200 in 2009 to 312,200 in 2010.

The governor said that the administration gathered a total of Rp 23.03 trillion (US$2.63 billion) in revenue last year, exceeding the Rp 22.96 trillion targeted.

In the mitigation of flood and traffic problems, Fauzi said that the city had made strides by buying more land area for the East Flood Canal project and dredging and repairing rivers and drainage channels. The governor also cited building more routes for the TransJakarta bus rapid transit system and constructing more fly-overs and under-passes.

Commenting on Fauzi’s accountability report, City Council deputy speaker Triwisaksana said that Fauzi had done a good job last year, but it was not enough.

“They were not good enough. The city has the potential to do better,” said Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) councillor Triwisaksana.

He also said that Fauzi had missed some important issues.

“He said nothing about the halted monorail project. We understand that city was still discussing the matter with the National Development Planning Agency [Bappenas] , but at least he could give us an update on that,” he said.

Construction of the monorail project was terminated in March 2008 by developer PT Jakarta Monorail due to financial constraints. The city deemed the project too expensive.

Triwisaksana was also concerned with the long overdue massive dredging project on a number rivers under the Jakarta Emergency Dredging Initiative (JEDI), which had been delayed a number of times.

“The program was supposed to start this year. How will it be done? The public wants to know,” Triwisaksana said.

The administration will rely on a $150 million loan from the World Bank for the JEDI project, which will dredge 13 main rivers and two flood canals to help reduce the risk of extreme flooding.

Triwisaksana said the Council would press the administration over its preparation for the possibility of massive flooding in 2012. Massive floods have hit the city on average once every five years, with the latest major floods occurring in 2002 and 2007. The next major flooding is expected in 2012.

Arguably the worst flooding in Jakarta’s history inundated about 70 percent of the city in 2007, killing at least 57 people and driving more than 450,000 people from their homes.

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