Govt To Accommodate Jakarta's Plan To Manage Floods

Jakarta, Jan 18 (ANTARA) - The central government will accommodate the plans of Jakarta provincial government to manage floods on a midterm and long-term basis, according to Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs Hatta Rajasa. "Jakarta has its master plan to manage the floods, and the central government will support it," he said at the presidential office here on Friday, adding that flood management was a continuous process. When asked about the Jakarta administration`s plans to build a multipurpose tunnel, Hatta stated that the possibility of building one would be discussed later. "Some countries, including Malaysia, have such tunnels that serve many purposes," he noted. Hatta also called for the establishment of an institution that would have the authority to manage the floods in Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Bekasi and Tangerang (Jabodetabek). "However, the body should not encroach upon the roles and functions of the regional governments," he pointed out.