Jakarta's main challenges include rapid urban growth, ecological breakdown, gridlocked traffic, congestion, and flooding due to subsidence (sea level rise is relative, not absolute). Jakarta is sinking up to 17 cm (6.7 inches) annually, which has made the city more prone to flooding and one of the fastest-sinking capitals in the world. In response to these challenges, in August 2019, President Joko Widodo announced his agreement with an official study that the capital of Indonesia would be moved from Jakarta to the planned city of Nusantara, in the province of East Kalimantan on the island of Borneo. The Parliament approved the move on 18 January 2022. (Full article...)
Service areas of the two private companies: Palyja serves Central, West and South Jakarta (Areas 1, 2 and 3), while Thames Water - later Aetra - serves East and North Jakarta (Areas 4 and 5).
Water privatisation in Jakarta began when the British water company Thames Water entered into an agreement with the son of then-President Suharto in 1993 to obtain a water concession. Under the influence of the French water company Suez, however, the government decided to split the city's service area between the two companies. The government awarded Thames Water and Suez each a concession for one half of the city without competitive bidding. The contracts foresaw water charge increases that would allow the companies to earn a comfortable 22 percent rate of return. However, only two months after the contracts were signed, the Indonesian rupiah massively lost in value due to the East Asian financial crisis, and President Suharto was toppled. The concessions survived, but the government imposed a tariff freeze and the contracts had to be renegotiated to reduce their targets. In 2006 Suez sold half and Thames Water all its shares to Indonesian investors.
The main targets of the concession were to increase service coverage from an initial 46 percent and to reduce water losses from 61 percent. The original target of the concessions was to reach 75 percent service coverage in 2008 and 100 percent at the end of the concession. They also aimed to reduce water losses to 25 percent by 2008 and 20 percent by the end of the concession. These targets were substantially loosened during the renegotiations: The new 2008 targets were 68 percent for service coverage and 42 percent for water losses. In 2008 service coverage reached only 64 percent and water losses were reduced to only 50 percent. During the same period, water tariffs increased threefold. This increase was partly due to increases in the cost of electricity and bulk water purchases which are passed through by the private companies to the customers. (Full article...)
Pencak silatBetawi style performed during Betawi wedding ceremony. The practitioner demonstrates the Silat technique on how to disarm opponent using "golok" blade as a weapon. Rawasari, Jakarta, Indonesia.
Benyamin Sueb (5 March 1939 – 5 September 1995) was an Indonesian comedian, actor and singer. He released 46 studio albums and starred in more than 50 films. He received two Citra Awards for Intan Berduri in 1973 and Si Doel Anak Modern in 1975. (Full article...)
Image 16PantjoranChinatown, located at the reclaimed island of Pantai Indah Kapuk housing area that currently became newest attraction place in Jakarta (from Jakarta)
Image 21Glodok commercial area. The area of Kota and Glodok remained Jakarta's central business and banking district during the 1950s. (from History of Jakarta)
Image 26Jayakarta circa 1605–8, before its complete destruction by the Dutch, showing earlier pre-colonial structures before Batavia was founded (from Colonial architecture in Jakarta)
Image 28Coat of Arms of Batavia during Dutch colonial era, granted in 1930. (from Jakarta)
Image 29Jabodebek LRT arriving to Dukuh Atas station. (from Transport in Jakarta)
Image 30One of the most monumental projects launched by Sukarno was the demolition of government buildings in Merdeka Square to make way for the National Monument. (from Jakarta)
Image 61Map of the administrative cities (Kota administratif) in Jakarta province; the Thousand Islands Regency (to the north) is shown on lower left. Each administrative city is further divided into districts (Kecamatan). (from Jakarta)
... that Anggara Wicitra Sastroamidjojo, a regional councillor in Jakarta, Indonesia, received media attention for bringing his seven-month-old child into the legislative chamber?
... that the architect Friedrich Silaban submitted his design for the Istiqlal Mosque pseudonymously in order to conceal his Christian identity?
... that Indonesian politician Gembong Warsono criticized the governor of Jakarta over municipally owned companies, sidewalk use, and imported dumpsters?