JAKARTA. Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama admitted on Wednesday that improper management of 6,500 tons of garbage daily produced in Jakarta had caused problems to residents living near the Bantar Gebang garbage treatment facility in Bekasi, West Java.

"The waste management does not meet the minimum standards. It is disadvantaging both Bekasi and Jakarta,” Ahok said after meeting with Bekasi Mayor Rahmat Effendi at City Hall.

During the meeting, Ahok discussed with Rahmat the Jakarta administration's plan to cut its cooperation with PT Godang Tua Jaya (GTJ), the operator of the 100-hectare garbage treatment facility in Bantar Gebang because, according to Ahok, the company had failed to invest sufficiently in garbage treatment technology.

According to a Supreme Audit Agency report, PT GTJ failed to fulfill the requirements stipulated in its 15-year contract for treating Jakarta’s waste, which started in 2008. The report said that the company had failed to purchase the agreed garbage treatment technology.

Responding to Ahok’s plan, Rahmat said that he supported the Jakarta city administration’s plan to cut its contract with PT GTJ with the hope that a change in garbage treatment facility operator would ease the problems faced by Bekasi residents.

The strong stench from rotten garbage from the garbage treatment facility, which is not properly treated, has been a long-term environment problem for the people living in the nearby areas. Another problem is the reportedly unsanitary method of transporting garbage from Jakarta to Bekasi.

Apart from discussing garbage treatment, Rahmat also made a number of requests to the city administration, including a change of garbage truck routes and working hours from Jakarta to Bantar Gebang.

Ahok previously said that he had demanded the Bekasi administration allow 24-hour operation for the garbage trucks, from the current operational hours of 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Rahmat said that a decision on the issue had not yet been made.

Rahmat also asked Ahok to compensate Bekasi for hosting the Jakarta garbage treatment facility. “There are health, education and infrastructure needs. Pak Governor used to say that the amount of money needed doesn’t matter as long as it's proportional,” Rahmat added.

He proposed Rp 1 trillion (US$72.59 million) worth of grants as a partner city and another Rp 1 trillion for infrastructure development. (Edna Tarigan)

Editor: Barratut Taqiyyah Rafie