Bodetabek Get Rp 100 Billion Each from Jakarta Next Year

Jakarta Provincial Government next year is going to give financial aid as much as Rp 100 billion each to buffer areas like Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi (Bodetabek). The aid is meant to resolve traffic congestion and flood problems happened in the capital city.

We (Jakarta Provincial Government) agreed to give financial aid worth Rp 10 billion for each (Bodetabek) region next year

Jakarta Vice Governor Basuki T Purnama said the money will be used to build infrastructures for traffic congestion and flood handling in Bodetabek. The fund is given because transportation and flood handling infrastructures are often overlapped between those city and regencies.

“Development in the capital city gives impacts and also binding partner cities and vice versa. That’s why we (Jakarta Provincial Government) agreed to give financial aid worth Rp 10 billion for each (Bodetabek) region next year. We also must synergize between one and another,” stated Basuki after meeting with Bodetabek regional heads in Wisma Nusantara building, Wednesday (9/17) night.

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According to Basuki, the fund can be used for land acquisition related to Angke River and reservoir construction that intersect with Jakarta’s partner regions. So does with the construction of Lebak Bulus Terminal in South Jakarta that synergizes with Tangerang and Bogor. All of it needs maintenance fund. That is why the amount of fund given increases sharply compared previous year which only Rp 5 billion.

“The money is limited. Our aid previously was Rp 5 billion. But, that’s too small, what can we do with Rp 5 billion? These are partner cities. Big city should have helped small cities,” he expressed.

Basuki hopes this cooperation could be an example for the national level. Even so, he warned those regions to use the fund only for infrastructures construction. If they made good financial reports, they would get the same amount of financial aid in the following year.

“As long as they make reports, they would get (the fund) again,” he added.

Meanwhile, South Tangerang Mayor, Airin Rachmi Diany, admitted that actually the financial aid given by Jakarta Provincial Government is already a routine since a couple of years ago. However, the amount was very small compared to the fund they needed since all this time the communication done was only between Regional Development Planning Boards (Bappeda).

“Previously, we already got helped from Jakarta Provincial Government. But, the amount of fund was too small. Usually, to help Jakarta overcome traffic congestion problem, we sent letter to Jakarta Bappeda and told what was needed. But the fact was from Rp 10 billion asked by South Tangerang, the fund given was only Rp 2 billion,” she uttered.

Besides South Tangerang Mayor Airin Rachmi Diany, the meeting was also attended by Bogor Deputy Mayor Usmar Hariman, Bogor Deputy Regent Nurhayanti, Tangerang Mayor Arief R Wismansyah, Tangerang Regent Ahmed Zaki Iskandar, Bekasi Regent Secretary Muhyiddin, Bekasi Mayor Rahmat Effendi, some regional officials, and representatives from TNI.