Resettlement program run by Jakarta Capital City Government in cooperation with Department of Manpower and Transmigration has seemingly started to gain public interest. Therefore, Jakarta government increases the resettlement quota by 100 families, from 100 families this year to 200 families next year, Jakarta Capital City Governor Fauzi Bowo says.
Jakarta government is also planning to implement a new concept of resettlement program called urban transmigration.
“In our resettlement program, we annually send 100 families,” said Fauzi Bowo in a ceremony to send off 100 families from Jakarta joining the program, Monday (11/16).
The 100 migrants are to be sent to several regions across Indonesia; 28 families (100 people) to Bengkulu, 25 families (81 people) to North Sumatera, 25 families (105 people) to South Kalimantan, and 22 families (87 people) to South East Sulawesi.
In regard to urban transmigration program, a modern-city concept will be firstly applied in the regions of destination. Various facilities will also be provided to support the program, so that people will be more interested in joining this new resettlement program.
Prior to joining the resettlement program, people must undergo a series of selection processes and psychology tests. Such measures are conducted to make them more prepared and unwilling to come back to their region of origin.
Jakarta Capital City Department for Labor and Transmigration head Deded Sukandar says the increase quota plan has been proposed to executive and legislative boards for 500 families in 2010. However, due to the limited budget, the increase only numbers 200 families.
By the establishment of the urban transmigration program, Deded says, it does not mean the conventional transmigration covering agriculture and plantation sectors will be diminished. Instead, it will complement the existing resettlement program. “Hopefully, we will be able to implement the urban transmigration by next year; so that we can also send our migrants to urban areas which are more appropriate to Jakarta citizens,” he said.
The idea of urban transmigration was basically initiated with the achievement of four Jakarta migrants as the best national farmers; two people in Banyuasin regency, South Kalimantan, and the other two in North Sumatera. “The four farmers raise chickens. Their businesses are quite successful,” he added.
To support the urban resettlement program, Deded says his side has provided the prospective migrants with skill trainings of automotive workshop, entrepreneurship (done in partnership with Indonesian Chamber of commerce of Jakarta chapter), and husbandry. “The main purpose of this urban transmigration is that the migrants are resettled in big cities and they are able to survive as successful entrepreneurs,” he stated.
The participants of urban transmigration will receive a two hectare land, one-year life insurance, seed and fertilizer aid, sleeping equipment, kitchen, lighting, agriculture, and clothing, for their new lives in the new place.