Canceling the Sunter ITF Project, Heru Budi Admits That He Has Reported to the Center

JAKARTA - Acting Governor of DKI Jakarta Heru Budi Hartono emphasized that he had reported to the Central Government through Menkomarves Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan regarding his decision to cancel the Sunter ITF project.

This was in response to the Regional Representative Coucil's (DPRD) statement which judged Heru to have violated the rules by canceling the construction of a waste processing facility into electrical energy this year.

"I have reported it to the Coordinating Minister. I have communicated, there is a letter asking to review (the ITF Sunter project again)," said Heru when met at the Minister For Public Works and Human Settlements (PUPR) Ministry office, Wednesday, August 8.

Heru explained that he was canceling the Sunter ITF project on the basis of his concern that the government would not be able to pay the waste management fees or tipping fees to private partners for decades.

Based on the results of the feasibility study, DKI Pemprov must pay a tipping fee of IDR 500,000 to IDR 700,000 per ton of processed waste within 20 to 30 years.

"The DKI regional government doesn't have money for tipping fees. If you do the math, it takes one year for the DKI regional government to spend IDR 3 trillion," said Heru.

Because of this, the DKI Provincial Government now prefers to develop the Refuse project for the construction of the Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) Plant as a Jakarta waste processing facility that produces coal-grade fuel.

The first RDF has been operating at the Bantargebang Integrated Waste Disposal Site (TPST) location, Bekasi. Furthermore, DKI Pemprov plans to re-build 2 RDF in Rorotan in North Jakarta and Pegadungan in West Jakarta.

"We pay a tipping fee for the ITF. We manage RDF to produce waste. We're not looking for something that can bring profit, but RDF is now operational. Getting income without incurring costs," he said.

Commissions B and C DPRD DKI Jakarta will propose an inquiry right regarding the cancellation of the construction of ITF Sunter this year to the leadership of DPRD DKI Jakarta.

Chairman of Commission B DPRD DKI Jakarta Ismail stated that the cancellation of the Sunter ITF violated four regulations, namely Law Number 23 of 2014 concerning Regional Government, Presidential Regulation Number 35 of 2018 Presidential Regulation Number 35 of 2018 concerning Acceleration of Construction of Waste-to-Electricity-Based Processing Installations Environmental Friendly Technology.

Then, Regulation of the Governor of DKI Jakarta Province Number 65 of 2019 Number 65 of 2019 concerning Assignment to the Jakarta Propertindo Limited Liability Company (Regional Company) in the Implementation of Intermediate Waste Treatment Facilities in the City, and regional regulations (perda) APBD for the 2023 fiscal year.

"We are questioning the policy made by the Acting Governor which canceled the ITF assignment project. Where, the project already has at least four legal bases. This needs to be confirmed regarding the termination because at least four regulations were violated," Ismail said at the DPRD building DKI Jakarta.

Ismail said that the inquiry right regarding the cancellation of the Sunter ITF needed to be implemented. This is because this violates the mandate of the central government which made ITF a national strategic project (PSN).

Then, the Pemprov and DPRD DKI have also agreed to allocate a budget of IDR 577 billion from the 2023 Regional Budget (APBD) as initial capital for the construction of ITF Sunter.

"It needs to be understood when the governor carries out a policy that is implemented from the APBD on a regional regulation that has been mutually agreed upon, when there is a change, he must discuss it again," said Ismail.