Agglomeration, Between Strategy And Business Interests

Photo By Andry Winarko VOI

JAKARTA - The term agglomeration is often associated with economic and industrial activities in urban areas. Agglomeration in urban areas occurs because of the efficiency and savings factors by adjacent locations. There is a theory that says that the more agglomeration of an economy will increase its growth.

So it can be interpreted simply that the city of agglomeration is a city whose development or development is followed by satellite cities around it. This agglomeration area will become a center for global economic growth.

An area can become an agglomeration city if there is integration between government governance, industry, transportation, trade, and other strategic fields.

Draft Bill DKJ explained that the agglomeration area is an urban area in the context of regional planning that unites the management of several urban and district areas. This regional planning is prepared so that it can be integrated between cities even though it is different from the administrative side.

The agglomeration area is used as a center for global national economic growth which integrates governance, industry, trade, integrated transportation, and other strategic fields to improve the economy and national welfare.

The plan to form an agglomeration area has caught the attention of the former Governor of DKI Jakarta, Anies Baswedan. Anies assessed that the formation of an agglomeration area would actually trigger new complexities. Because Jakarta's cooperation with the surrounding areas has been good so far.

"Pasa aspek itu seharusnya tidak menimbulkan kolektur baru. Lembaga baru itu belum tentu bisa menyelesaikan masalah yang sebenarnya ada. Kalau saya bisa usulan, prosesnya lebih bottom up dengan carakumpul yang selama ini mengelolakan Jakarta dan sekitarnya dan mendengar apa saja yang selama ini dibutuhkan mereka, baru dari situ undang-undang ini menyesuaikasi," kata mantan Gubernur Jakarta, Anies Baswedan.

Dynasty Business Planner

The vice president's proposal to lead the agglomeration area is regulated in Article 55 of the Jakarta Special Region Bill. However, it is not explained in more detail how the role and authority of the vice president will be in leading the agglomeration area. It is also not clear whether the Vice President will continue to have an office in Jakarta or at IKN Nusantara.

This issue became crucial after Gibran Rakabuming Raka was passed by the constitutional court to become vice president. So, what do analysts think of this crucial issue?

Quoted from Rocky Gerung Official's YouTube channel, the former University of Indonesia (UI) lecturer assessed that the Jakarta Special Region Bill was part of a dynastic planning that might also fail.

"The idea must be suspected from the start because after all, Jakarta is a business center, a decision-making center even though there will be an IKN," he said. Because according to Rocky Gerung, Jakarta will remain a political city, and in it there are people who have the right as citizens to be able to fulfill all their basic needs.

"If (the Governor) is not elected, it means that this will be a kind of protection from the palace if the governor is appointed and then added that the vice president will be a kind of head of the agglomeration authority in Jakarta. Administratively, it may be efficient, but we must also look at Jokowi's political planning from the start who wants his strengths to be smuggled through the law," said Rocky Gerung.

The man who likes to wear collared shirts and looks in his eyes is worried that if all the energy of the vice president is not helping the president, it will form its own political power in the agglomeration area.

Member of Commission II of the DPR RI from the PKS faction, Mardani Ali Sera, explicitly said that the Vice President's decision to become the authority of the Jakarta Special Region agglomeration (DKJ) region was due to business interests that wanted to be protected. Mardani allegedly, this business interest refers to one of the business figures in Hong Kong.

It is known that the Hong Kong businessman has a property business that is connected to transportation networks, such as LRT and MRT, in the Transit Oriented Development (TOD) system.

"So there could be a huge future business interest. Therefore, we must guard it together," said Mardani.

Gibran Rakabuming Raka gave a short answer when asked about crucial issues about the Special Region of Jakarta (DKJ). The agglomeration polemic of Jakarta and surrounding areas will later be handed over their authority to the vice president.

"Yes, just wait for the confirmation, if it's not certain, you can't give a statement," he said when met by reporters at Solo City Hall.

How The Minister Of Home Affairs Denies Agglomeration Issues

Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian explained that Jakarta's agglomeration authority to the vice president is not related to the 2024 presidential election. This is because the discussion of the harmonization of Jakarta and its surrounding areas has been carried out since April 2022.

"In various discussions and the FGD was carried out, at that time we did not have a coalition for the 2024 General Election, especially the candidate pair who didn't know that, and the issue emerged in the FGD regarding the importance of structuring or harmonization of development. Starting from planning to evaluation, namely Jakarta and the surrounding satellite city, because it has become a unit," Tito said during a working meeting with the Legislation Body (Baleg) of the DPR.

Tito hopes that Jakarta can become a global business city such as Newyork and Melboure. He added that the government also needs to make Jakarta grow as the main megapolitan city at the national, regional and global levels.

"We also want the City of Jakarta to become one of the main centers in the fields of economy, services, banking, and others," he said.