Governor Jokowi listens to residents’ complaints

Governor Jokowi listens to residents’ complaints

Sita W. Dewi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Jakarta | Fri, November 29 2013, 8:18 AM


“What do you think will be the best solution? Let me know what you have in mind,” Governor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said when answering a North Jakarta resident who complained about the lack of attention to moral education in his area during a public hearing held at the National Monument (Monas) in Central Jakarta.

The event was the first public hearing in an interactive forum initiated by the governor called Rembug Provinsi (provincial discussion) 2013, which saw 1,500 residents from across the capital participating.

The residents enthusiastically expressed their thoughts to the governor, despite the limited time allotted by the committee.

A number of residents from the Thousand Islands regency told the governor that they needed a gas-filling station (SPBU) and wished for better access to Jakarta. One of them also complained about the decreasing number of fish they were able to catch allegedly due to sea pollution.

Speaking to reporters after the public hearing, Jokowi acknowledged that he was inspired by the two-way discussion, saying that the residents’ suggestions would influence his public policy-making process.

“There are different ways residents can solve issues in their respective neighborhoods. I provided this forum to give them a chance to channel their thoughts. The results will surely be included in next year’s revised budget or in the 2015 budget,” he said, adding that the forum was not the same as the established Regional Development Planning Forum (Musrenbang).

“We already have Musrenbang but the thoughts expressed there are usually repetitive,” he pointed out.

A second hearing, which will see a smaller group of 150 people, is slated to be held on Monday.

The second public hearing will be attended by homogenous groups such as the Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI), the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) and the Indonesia Young Entrepreneurs Association (Hipmi).