In the short term, Mr Jokowi reportedly ordered relevant ministries and non-ministerial government agencies to intervene in improving the air quality in Greater Jakarta.
Greater Jakarta, or Jabodetabek, is a large metropolitan area covering Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi.
According to Antara, the president outlined several short-term interventions that include weather engineering to induce rainfall in the area as well as regulations to accelerate the implementation of emission limits.
“The long dry season for the past three months … and emissions from transportation and industrial activities in (Greater Jakarta), especially those that use coal in the manufacturing industry (has led to an increase in high pollutant concentrations),” he reportedly said.
Mr Jokowi also instructed for an increase in the number of green open spaces in the Greater Jakarta area and requested a budget for the provision of those spaces to be immediately prepared.
In the medium term, the government will implement policies to reduce the use of fossil fuel-based vehicles and encourage a switch to mass transportation, Mr Jokowi added.
And for the long term, climate change mitigation and adaptation actions should be strengthened, he said.
“Supervision must be carried out in the industrial and power generation sectors, especially around Greater Jakarta. We must also educate the public (to reduce emissions),” said Mr Jokowi, according to Antara.
After the meeting on Monday, Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya said that the government is also working on an environmental pollution tax to reduce Jakarta’s worsening air pollution.
According to CNN Indonesia, she said that the formulation related to the pollution tax is still being prepared by the National Research and Investment Agency as well as her ministry.
During the meeting, the government also reportedly agreed that ministries, agencies and local governments must impose random emission tests on all motorised vehicles entering their office facilities.
“Then, (they can) include the requirement to pass the emission test for the STNK (vehicle registration certificate) extension and vehicle tax payment,” Mdm Nurbaya was quoted as saying by CNN Indonesia.
Source: CNA
