Pramono: Not Reflecting a Global City, Wanting to Eradicate Pak Ogah to Human Wheelbarrows in Jakarta 

JAKARTA - Entering the month of Ramadan, the existence of beggars, "Pak Ogah", to human carts began to be seen again at a number of points in Jakarta. The DKI Jakarta Provincial Government ensures that the discipline will be tightened in the near future.

The Governor of DKI Jakarta, Pramono Anung, said that the enforcement step was actually already underway, including against groups who are often referred to as human carts.

"We have carried out discipline, including the so-called 'cart people'. Thank God, now it's practically on the streets, not like usual," said Pramono at the DKI Jakarta City Hall, Central Jakarta, Wednesday, March 4.

According to Pramono, the current situation on the ground is considered more under control than in previous periods leading up to Ramadan, when begging activities and informal traffic control services usually increase.

He added, the DKI Provincial Government will also deploy new apparatus to strengthen supervision. Considering that today Pramono has just appointed a number of functional officials of the Satpol PP.

"It so happens that today the Satpol PP functional is also inaugurated, the majority of which, we will ask them to take firm action against the actions of beggars in Jakarta. Because it does not reflect as a global city," he said.

Although emphasizing enforcement, Pramono said the government still opened space for solutions from the employment side. He admitted that the economic factor was one of the background for the proliferation of begging activities on the streets.

"But whatever as a government, we certainly want everyone in Jakarta to have the opportunity to work," he said.

One of the steps taken, he said, was to loosen the education requirements for other individual service provider workers (PJLP), including sanitation workers or orange forces.

"So, the work space must be fairly opened also for example PJLP which used to have the requirement for the 'orange team' was high school, now the requirement is only elementary school. That's one of the breakthroughs we've made to give everyone the opportunity to work in Jakarta," added Pramono.