Hizbul Ridho, Jakarta – The National Development Planning Ministry has claimed Indonesia will be "slum-free" by 2019 as the government plans to improve the living conditions of some of the archipelago's most congested and impoverished neighborhoods.
Citing data from the ministry of public works, National Development Planning Minister Andrinof Chaniago revealed in October that Indonesia's slums span a total area of 38,431 hectares.
Poor sanitation and a severe lack of education among the residents have made these areas a breeding ground for some of the deadliest diseases to plague the nation, including dengue fever, malaria and tuberculosis, he added.
The program will kick off next year and involves building adequate sanitation facilities as well as raising people's awareness on health and hygiene.
Andrinof assured the state would be capable of tackling the necessary infrastructure projects, but the difficult task of altering the residents' attitude toward cleanliness and maintaining hygienic living environments would require strong cooperative efforts between local governments, academics, environmental groups and social foundations.
The ministry's program "will reach its goals if all those involved are willing to work hard together," he said. "Changing people's behaviors and values is an essential aspect [of the program]."
Dedy Priatna, the ministry's deputy for infrastructure, warned there is no one single solution to change people's habits.
"Handling slum areas cannot be resolved with a top-down solution. We need to adjust to each region's unique needs and a cross-sector approach is needed," Dedy said, adding that each city administration will be required to formulate their own Slum Alleviation Policy and Action Plan (Sapola). This plan would also include ways to improve their residents' finances and living conditions.
Nine cities have been chosen for the first stage of the program: Banjarmasin, East Kalimantan; Pekalongan and Semarang in Central Java; Surabaya and Malang, East Java; Tangerang, Banten; Makassar, South Sulawesi; Palembang in South Sumatra; and the city of Yogyakarta.
President Joko Widodo, known for his populist approach, has made poverty alleviation one of his administration's key efforts. Since his inauguration in October, Joko has been working to amplify some of his successful programs as the mayor of Solo, Central Java, and later as Jakarta governor to the national level.
These include the Indonesia Smart Card, a cash assistance scheme for students, and the Indonesia Healthy Card, a free basic health care insurance system.
During his time as governor of Jakarta, Joko transformed many of the city's slums into so-called kampung deret (tiered village) – subsidized, low-rise apartment complexes. These former slums also feature a public park and toilets.
Before leaving Jakarta for the presidency, Joko said the capital would see at least 200 low-cost residential towers each year as part of its push to improve the living conditions of the city's poor.
Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/ambitious-quest-slum-free-indonesia/