On September 14, 2022, the Centre on Asia and Globalisation hosted the S.T. Lee Distinguished Lecture at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. The guest speaker was Anies Baswedan, Governor of Jakarta, who presented on “Public Policy in a Mega City - Lessons Learnt from Jakarta”.
Mr. Baswedan spoke on the four biggest concerns for local residents of Jakarta—i.e., rising costs of living, healthcare, education, employment. As governor, Mr. Baswedan launched several initiatives in the city that not only sought to address these challenges, but did so in a way that was sustainable, environmentally-friendly, and promoted greater social equality and unity among the people.
For instance, his administration launched the ‘Info pangan Jakarta’ mobile app that allowed locals to compare food prices across markets, and prevent suppliers from manipulating prices. The housing tax policy was revised to stabilise housing prices. The public transport system was integrated creating a more efficient transport ecosystem. Jakarta’s public transport coverage has doubled from 40 percent in 2016, to almost 90 percent today. Around 241 km of sidewalks were also added across the city, allowing more people to simply walk and enjoy parts of the city.
These initiatives also had other spillover benefits. Higher usage of public transport meant lower emissions of greenhouse gases. Schools that were previously seen as more exclusive, for example, were now more diverse, with a greater mix of students from different income levels, and social backgrounds. And whilst previously restaurants with big parking lots tended to have the most business, now even eating locations with smaller parking lots were seeing an increase in popularity.
There was certainly some pushback from private businesses and local citizens. But Mr. Baswedan emphasized that it was important to communicate and convince everyone of the benefits of such initiatives which would, in the long run, outweigh any costs and inconveniences.
When asked about the development of the new Indonesian capital, Nusantara, Mr. Baswedan noted that they will aim to avoid repeating past mistakes. For instance, instead of focusing on corridor-based development and car-based development, there will be more emphasis on public transport.