Jakarta\'s Efforts to Rise through Collaboration

Jakarta is a city that has advantages. For this reason, the establishment of Jakarta as a city of collaboration, which collaborates with all these resources, is the answer to recover from the pandemic.

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

Workers prepare equipment to clean the Welcome Statue at the Hotel Indonesia (HI) roundabout, Jakarta, Friday (25/10/2013). The HI roundabout and the welcome monument have become one of the landmarks of the city of Jakarta.

Jakarta celebrated its 494th anniversary on Tuesday (22/6/2021) in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. How to cope with all the problems resulting from the health crisis? Below are excerpts from an interview between Kompas and Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan, which was held virtually on Monday (21/6).

How does Jakarta interpret its anniversary celebration in the second year of the pandemic?

I have told all ranks of officials that if it is declared a pandemic, it will last for a long time. To get through that long period, Jakarta must be tough. We must be optimistic because Jakarta has tough people, both Betawi residents who are tough and strong, and migrants from other parts of the country.

This year, from the beginning of the year until May, we have seen a decline in Covid-19 cases and the economy has started to show signs of recovery. God willing, we will be able to rise and become a better city, with stronger citizens who are resilient. So, that\'s why this year we chose the theme “Jakarta Rises”.

We are making a number of efforts to end the pandemic. The pandemic will end faster if we have good immunity. The immunity can be obtained in two ways. One is when you have been infected and the second is when you have been vaccinated. Getting infected should certainly be avoided as it poses a great risk. So, we should boost Covid-19 vaccination in Jakarta.

Also read:

> Proving the Resilience of Jakarta

> The Poor Are Not Optimally Helped

Approximately 3.4 million people have received the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. It is hoped that by the end of August all people over the age of 18 in Jakarta will get vaccinated.

How to implement such a spirit in the development program?

Jakarta is a city that has advantages because all the resources are here. For this reason, the establishment of Jakarta as a city of collaboration, which collaborates with all these resources, is the answer to recover from the pandemic.

We promote a collaborative approach. We will act as a collaborator and the community as co-creators. This is the phase of the transformation of the government to become a service provider, facilitator, and then a collaborator. People not only play a role as residents but also as customers, participants and co-creators. We have launched a large-scale social collaboration program. Companies and individuals are invited to help the community in Jakarta. We provide the platform so they can get involved.

KOMPAS/FRANSISKUS WISNU WARDHANA DANY

DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan

How can this collaboration help overcome poverty?

In the history of Jakarta, the administration has never previously lost nearly Rp 40 trillion until now due to the pandemic. No government officials (other than those in Jakarta) had pay cuts of up to 50 percent to help finance the social assistance. The choice at that time was either the money to be used for 16,000 civil servants or for 1.5 million poor families. Then we decided to use the money for 1.5 million families.

So, what measures were taken?

In the short term, we helped residents whose daily incomes were disrupted. There are many programs of assistance we have provided (cash and non-cash from the re-allocation of central government and provincial government’s budgets)

The second step is to provide an integrated entrepreneurship program such as by providing a training, a business license to marketing assistance. There have been 161,497 micro and small business permits issued during the pandemic. As many as 251,000 micro and small business units have taken part in the entrepreneurship program.

We see that the phase of recovery in Jakarta is relatively fast. Once we can resume our activities, we are quite sure that jobs will be quickly available again because the informal sector in Jakarta is quite large.

However, it will be difficult to completely cope with the poverty program. The root of the problem must be addressed, one of which is to provide an educational system such as through a zoning system which can provide an equal opportunity for all citizens to access education in the vicinity of their homes.

My message is that we all in this city are the people who are resilient and we all have to deal with a collective challenge: a pandemic.

What are some optimistic and positive messages for residents in the midst of a pandemic?

My message is that we all in this city are the people who are resilient and we all have to deal with a collective challenge: a pandemic. Let’s show that the people’s personality that is tough, and maintain the optimism with solidarity.

A form of solidarity is to adhere to health protocols. This means that we protect others, respect others, and respect ourselves. So I believe that by working together, the government will be able to boost 3T (tracing, testing, treatment), then accelerate vaccination to achieve collective immunity. God willing, we will come out as a winner in overcoming this challenge. ( DAN/ VAN/ HLN/ NEL)

Kompas/Wawan H Prabowo

Motorcyclists (right) use a permanent bicycle lane to break through traffic jams on Jalan Jenderal Sudirman, Jakarta, Thursday (17/6/2021).

This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi.