Latest news with #PramonoAnung
The Star
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Jakarta governor Pramono's first 100 days a mixed bag
Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung (right) and his deputy, Rano Karno (centre), talking with a prospective tenant of low-cost rental apartments (rusunawa) in Jagakarsa in South Jakarta on May 8, 2025. - Antara JAKARTA: While a recent survey reveals public satisfaction with many of Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung's programmes, activist groups have pointed out several flaws in his policies during his first 100 days in office. The public opinion poll from Indikator Politik Indonesia showed that Pramono's approval rating stood at 60 per cent since taking office in mid-February. Compared with the approval ratings of his counterparts across five other provinces in Java, Indikator placed Pramono in the second-lowest position. The survey, released on May 28, also indicated that while around 70 per cent of respondents were satisfied with six of Pramono's surveyed programmes, such as extending the operational hours of public libraries and holding job fairs, better policy communication is needed for Pramono's office to inform more residents. The pollster's founder Burhanuddin Muhtadi said that only one third of residents were aware of Pramono's programmes, despite Jakartans' high exposure to media. Since assuming office, the former cabinet secretary has been making efforts to fulfil his campaign promises, either introducing new initiatives like extending operational hours of public spaces or resuming past policies such as the Ciliwung River normalization and relocation of evicted Kampung Bayam residents. At City Hall on Monday, four Jakarta-based civil groups gathered to release the results of their own assessment of certain programmes of the new Jakarta administration, such as workforce policy and some past initiatives that the city reenacted, such as the river normalisation and the Kampung Bayam relocation programme. The groups were Greenpeace Indonesia, the Jakarta Urban Poor Network (JRMK), Urban Poor Consortium (UPC) and Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta). The results of their assessment showed that the Pramono administration gained an average score of 20 for all of the assessed policies, way below the threshold set by the civil groups, which stands at 75. The groups particularly criticized how Pramono reenacted the river normalization project and the relocation of displaced Kampung Bayam residents without transparency and without listening to the aspirations of the affected populations, while prioritising short-term solutions that could further harm the vulnerable groups. Pramono has set a target of completing the Ciliwung River normalization by 2026, a long-stalled project that aims to help mitigate flooding in Greater Jakarta. In the case of Kampung Bayam, Pramono moved in March several of its evicted residents to a low-cost vertical housing complex (rusun) Kampung Susun Bayam, located near the Jakarta International Stadium (JIS) in Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta. The residents had been left hanging for years after their former houses were demolished to pave the way for the construction of the sports complex, under the leadership of former governor Anies Baswedan. The activist groups, however, claimed that the monthly rents in the new housing complex left several residents hesitant about moving as they may be too high. 'The new city administration is trapped in instant solutions, exacerbating the city's perennial problems,' said Greenpeace Indonesia campaigner Jeanny Sirait, referring to problems surrounding floods and land tenure. Chico Hakim, special staffer to the governor, told The Jakarta Post that the administration had received the assessment results from the civil groups, saying that it would look into every criticism and suggestion. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
The Star
09-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Take public transport, or no promotion: Jakarta civil servants forced to ditch their wheels to work
Civil servants are expected to share their proof of compliance in the form of selfies. -- PHOTO: REUTERS JAKARTA (The Straits Times/ANN): Civil servants in Indonesia's capital city must take public transport to work on Wednesdays, or risk losing a promotion. The order that kicked in on April 30 is part of a policy introduced by Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung aimed at reducing traffic congestion and air pollution – two major issues plaguing the city. 'For anyone who violates this policy while I'm in charge for at least the next five years, don't expect a promotion,' Pramono was quoted as saying by Jakarta Globe on May 8. 'We want this to become not just an order, but (also) a new lifestyle for employees. Public transportation is the future of Jakarta.' The Governor's Instruction No. 6 of 2025 on the Use of Mass Public Transportation for Employees within the Jakarta Provincial Government was signed on April 23. Civil servants are expected to share their proof of compliance in the form of selfies. Pramono warned that those who arrive at their office in a private vehicle will not be allowed to park. They will be removed from the office premises and will be considered absent from work, reported media outlet Tempo. However, exceptions are granted for workers with special conditions, such as pregnant women. The Jakarta government has also disallowed the use of regional government-owned vehicles for civil servants on Wednesdays. When the policy came into effect on April 30, road barriers and traffic cones were reportedly used to restrict access of private vehicles to Jakarta City Hall. High compliance rate despite criticisms Pramono said he noted a positive response from civil servants, with some sharing their commuting experiences online and tagging him in their posts. 'On average, they welcomed it with high enthusiasm,' he reportedly said on April 30. According to Pramono, the policy applies to 65,000 workers – comprising 45,000 regular civil servants and 20,000 contract workers – 96 per cent of whom complied on the first day. The number of public transport users jumped that day, with city-owned rapid transit bus service TransJakarta reportedly seeing 1.4 million passengers on April 30, up from the usual 1.2 million travellers. Among the travellers was Pramono himself, who took a bus from his official residence in Taman Suropati to Jakarta City Hall. Local media had earlier reported him as saying he does not commute to work using public transportation, as he lives nearby. Despite the high compliance rate, criticism emerged online after the policy was announced. One netizen said that while the policy may be a solution to the issue of traffic congestion in the city, it does not take into consideration the commute for civil servants who live on the outskirts of Jakarta. 'For those whose house is far (from the office), it'll be difficult because they need (to take several types of) transportation since there is no public transportation from their homes,' said another. Others suggested the government implement a carpooling or transport service purely for civil servants to take them to the office. According to Tempo, Pramono said in a written statement on April 24 that public transportation connectivity within the metropolitan area has reached 91 per cent, and that civil servants will soon be able to use public transportation services for free. In 2024, the Global Traffic Scorecard ranked Jakarta the seventh most congested city in the world. Jakarta also snagged the title of the most polluted city in the world in 2023, according to Swiss air quality technology company IQAir. - The Straits Times/ANN
Straits Times
09-05-2025
- Automotive
- Straits Times
No public transport, no promotion: Jakarta civil servants forced to ditch their wheels to work
Civil servants are expected to share their proof of compliance in the form of selfies. PHOTO: REUTERS No public transport, no promotion: Jakarta civil servants forced to ditch their wheels to work JAKARTA - Civil servants in Indonesia's capital city must take the public transport to work on Wednesdays , or risk a promotion. The order that kicked in on April 30 is part of a policy introduced by Jakarta governor Pramono Anung aimed at reducing traffic congestion and air pollution - two major issues plaguing the city. 'For anyone who violates this policy while I'm in charge for at least the next five years, don't expect a promotion,' Mr Pramono was quoted as saying by Jakarta Globe on May 8. 'We want this to become not just an order but a new lifestyle for employees. Public transportation is the future of Jakarta.' The Governor's Instruction Number 6 of 2025 on the Use of Mass Public Transportation for Employees within the Jakarta Provincial Government was signed on April 23 . Civil servants are expected to share their proof of compliance in the form of selfies. Mr Pramono warned that those who arrive at their office in a private vehicle will not be allowed to park . They will be removed from the office premises, and will be considered absent from work, reported Tempo . However, exceptions are granted for workers with special conditions, such as pregnant women. The Jakarta government h as also disallowed the use of regional government-owned vehicles for civil servants on Wednesdays. When the policy came into effect on April 30 , road barriers and traffic cones were reportedly used to restrict access of private vehicles into the J akarta City Hal l. High compliance rate despite criticisms Mr Pramono said he noted a positive response from civil servants, with some sharing their commuting experiences online and tagging him in their posts. 'On average, they welcomed it with high enthusiasm,' he r eportedly said on April 30. According to Mr Pramono , the policy applies to 65,000 workers - comprising 45,000 regular civil servants and 20,000 contract workers - 96 per cent of whom complied on the first day. The number of public transport users jumped that day, with city-owned rapid transit bus service TransJakarta reportedly seeing 1.4 million passengers on April 30, up from the usual 1.2 million travellers. Among the travellers were Mr Pramono, who took a bus from his official residence in Taman Suropati to Jakarta City Hall. Local media had earlier reported him as saying he does not commute to work using public transportation as he lives nearby. Despite the high compliance rate, criticism had emerged online after the policy was announced. One netizen said that while the policy may be a solution to the traffic congestion in the city, it does not take into consideration the commute for civil servants who live on the outskirts of Jakarta. 'For those whose house is far (from the office), it'll be difficult because they need (to take several types of) transportation since there is no public transportation from their homes,' said another. Others suggested the government implement a carpooling or transport service purely for civil servants to take them to the office. According to Tempo , Mr Pramono said in a written statement on April 24 that public transportation connectivity within the metropolitan area has reached 91 per cent, and that civil servants will soon be able to use public transportation services for free. In 2024 , the Global Traffic Scorecard ranked Jakarta the seventh most congested city in the world. Jakarta also snagged the title of the most polluted city in the world in 2023, according to Swiss air quality technology company IQAir. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Star
01-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Jakarta enforces weekly public transit rule for civil servants
Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung riding a TransJakarta bus on April 30 in Salemba, Central Jakarta. - Antara JAKARTA: In a rare public display of using mass transit, Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung was seen waiting for a bus at the Taman Suropati stop near his official residence in Central Jakarta on Wednesday (April 30) morning. He was en route to Matraman, East Jakarta, for a meeting with Aisyiyah, the women's wing of the country's top Islamic organisation Muhammadiyah. The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician told reporters that while Jakarta's public transportation system has become more accessible in recent years, major improvements are still needed, particularly in terms of connectivity across the Greater Jakarta area. 'I will soon launch five new Transjabodetabek bus routes to better connect Jakarta with [satellite cities] in West Java and Banten,' Pramono said, as quoted by Antara. 'Hopefully, this will improve overall connectivity.' He also shared an anecdote from his commute, noting that a fellow passenger told him he had to transfer eight times just to reach his workplace, underscoring the pressing need for a more integrated transport network. Joining him on the initiative was Deputy Governor Rano Karno, who commuted from his home in South Jakarta's Lebak Bulus using a combination of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) and TransJakarta bus to reach a stop near City Hall in Central Jakarta. A week earlier, Pramono signed Jakarta Gubernatorial Instruction (Ingub) No. 6/2025 that mandates all civil servants within the city administration to take public transport every Wednesday. The policy is part of a broader effort to tackle the capital's chronic traffic congestion. The 2024 Global Traffic Scorecard ranks Jakarta as the seventh most congested city in the world. Meanwhile, the latest data from Statistics Indonesia's Jakarta chapter (BPS Jakarta) reveals that the city hosts around 22 million vehicles, which is double its population, with motorcycles making up nearly 80 per cent of the total. Currently, only about 10 per cent of daily commutes are made using public transportation, which is far short of the city's ambitious target of 55 per cent by 2045. The new instruction also requires civil servants to take a selfie every Wednesday as proof of compliance. On the same day, government vehicles will be taken off the road, except for essential services. While the initiative aligns with the administration's broader commitment to promote public transportation, it has drawn criticism online. Many users took to social media to express frustration, arguing that the policy is impractical for employees who work in suburban or outlying areas where access to public transport remains limited or nonexistent. Akbar Kurnia Ferdiansyach, an employee at the Jakarta Public Housing and Settlement Agency, said he usually takes the commuter line (KRL) from Depok, West Java, to his office in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta. However, the 37-year-old noted that he still needs to use a motorcycle to reach Depok Station, as 'there's no feeder bus service near my home'. Another city employee from Depok shared a similar experience, saying the lack of transport connectivity has led him to rely on his private vehicle for daily commutes. 'I find it more flexible for my workday. I don't need to order additional Gojek [online ride-hailing service],' said the 29-year-old, who asked to be identified only by the pseudonym Agung. Still, Agung added that the mandatory weekly commute by public transport would not be too much of an inconvenience for him. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
Gulf Today
05-03-2025
- Climate
- Gulf Today
Floods in Indonesia's capital displace thousands
Thousands of people were evacuated in Indonesia's capital Jakarta on Tuesday after floods swamped the region, officials said, with heavy rain expected to continue until next week. Torrential rain since Monday has triggered floods of up to 3-metres (yards) in and around Jakarta, the country's disaster agency said in a statement, blocking some roads and submerging over 1,000 houses and many cars. Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung raised the alert level to the second highest of the critical stages, calling on the local government to activate water pumps to extract water from flooded areas and conduct weather modification operations - which typically includes shooting salt flares into clouds to trigger rain before they reach land. Local media reported floodwaters also swamped a hospital in the eastern town of Bekasi, with water entering some wards, forcing the evacuation of patients to other buildings, while other parts of the hospital were hit by power outages. Rescuers on rubber boats sailed through thigh-high water to evacuate residents that had been trapped in floods since 4 a.m. (2100 GMT) at a housing complex in Bekasi, Reuters reporters said. The country's weather agency warned that heavy rain is forecast to hit the capital and surrounding cities until March 11. "We need to be alert... But hopefully the weather modification could reduce rainfall," said the agency's head Dwikorita Karnawati. Sri Suyatni, 50, said she did not have time to collect her belongings before evacuating and her entire house was submerged in flood water. "I hope the floods will soon recede," she said. The government has started building temporary shelters and distributing foods, clothes, and medications for the evacuees, said social affairs minister Saifullah Yusuf. Residents were also evacuated to schools, mosques and churches. The Greater Jakarta metropolitan area, home to more than 30 million people, is regularly hit by floods. But several local media reported the current situation, particularly in Bekasi, was the worst since 2020. Floods killed 60 in Jakarta in 2020, following the heaviest one-day rainfall since records began in 1866.
