BIG CITIES ATTRACT MANY FROM HINTERLANDS AFTER LEBARAN

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, July 12 (Antara) - Indonesia always faces a seasonal problem of massive crowds coming to its cities from the countryside after the post-fasting festivities or Lebaran when nearly a million people across the country migrate to big cities to try their luck.         Two years ago, for instance, the National Family Planning and Population Board (BKKBN) estimated that about one million people would migrate to cities across the country, accounting for about 5.5 percent of the 18.1 million home-bound Ied Fitr holiday-makers.          Urbanization will increase the population problem in densely populated big cities, such as Jakarta. Therefore, the government should take steps in this regard to preempt it.         Legislator Saleh Partaonan Daulay of Commission IX on population affairs of the House of Representatives (DPR) said equitable development of villages is a solution to the problem of villagers coming to big cities to seek jobs.        The main problem with urbanization is uneven development. Almost all big projects are located in big cities. This prompts villagers to try their luck in cities, Saleh said on Monday.

IDUL FITRI BOOSTS INDONESIAN URBANIZATION

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Aug 2 (Antara) - After the post-fasting Idul Fitri or Lebaran festivities in Indonesia seasonal migration of people from small towns or villages to urban areas or big cities has become an annual event.          Civil servants, private company employees, traders and other urban dwellers of different professions traditionally celebrate the Lebaran festivities in their hometowns.          But when they return to their urban environment after the festivities, some bring back family members, relatives or friends who are willing to try their hand in the cities.          After the Idul Fitri festivities last year, the National Family Planning and Population Board (BKKBN) estimated that about one million people would migrate to cities across the country, or about 5.5 percent of the 18.1 million home-bound Idul Fitri holiday-makers.          This year, in the current Idul Fitri season, the Ministry of Transportation has predicted that the number of home-bound travelers will reach about 24 million.      Supposing urbanization accounts for 5.5 percent of the 24 million holidaymakers, big cities in Indonesia will have to receive some 1.3 million people migrating from villages or non-urban regions to cities.

GOVT URGED TO STEM POST-FASTING MIGRATION TO CITIES

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Aug 16 (Antara) - The government is being called upon to prevent the annual influx of villagers who migrate to cities, and often cause problems in urban areas, following the post-fasting Idul Fitri festivities.      As in the past, many Idul Fitri or Lebaran celebrants who return to their hometowns for family reunions and festivities later bring family members, relatives or friends to the cities when they return to work.          Indeed, during this week's post-fasting holidays, about one million newcomers are expected to migrate to big cities throughout the country.  This estimate, based upon past statistics, was made by Manpower and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin Iskandar.          "This is a phenomenon where people from villages migrate to cities after Idul Fitri or Lebaran holidays. They come to cities to seek jobs," explained the minister on Monday. Most people migrating to cities do not have proper skills and find it extremely difficult to obtain jobs, authorities noted.          As a result, problems such as unemployment and crime in the cities increase.          To avoid this, Ace Hasan Syadzily, a member of the House of Representatives' Commission VIII on social affairs, urged the government to take steps to stem this annual migration to the cities.

LEBARAN TRAVELERS URGED NOT TO BRING FRIENDS BACK TO CITIES

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Aug 10 (Antara) - To avoid worsening the crowding in the nation's cities, government officials have urged Idul Fitri travelers who return to their hometowns not to bring relatives or friends back to the cities.          Idul Fitri or Lebaran is a seasonal holiday that often increases problems in cities when homebound travelers return from their villages with friends who are lured to the cities to try their luck finding better paying jobs in urban areas.          The transport ministry has estimated that total travelers this year might reach 18.1 million, an increase of 4.46 percent over last year.         Further, the National Family Planning and Population Board (BKKBN) earlier predicted that some one million migrants from villages move to larger cities after the Idul Fitr holiday.          Last year, for example, former BKKBN head Sugiri Syarief predicted some one million newcomers would migrate to cities after the Lebaran festivity.          "This year's post-fasting urbanization is expected to be fueled by the advent of around one million new migrants in cities," he said.          According to Wendy Hartanto, a deputy for population control from the BKKBN, migration of people from villages to big cities is difficult to prevent, because cities have a particular attraction for people who want a new life.

RURAL DEVELOPMENT NEEDED TO STEM URBANIZATION

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Aug 22 (ANTARA) - The government should direct all its resources and developmental efforts towards rural areas in order to create better employment opportunities for local residents, which will help improve their quality of life and also prevent large-scale migration to urban centers.          An imbalance in development and unequal distribution of resources has resulted in the concentration of wealth in metropolises and made urban dwellers prosperous, which is also a reason why people living in rural areas want to migrate to these cities, but the recent increase in migration has also produced social disparities and unrest.          High urbanization levels can also boost crime rates in metropolises, sociologist Musni Umar of the National University said on Wednesday.

JAKARTA WILL WELCOME NEW MIGRANTS, BUT ONLY THOSE WITH SKILLS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Aug 20 (ANTARA) - The population in many cities and urban areas across Indonesia is expected to swell, following the return of around 16 million holiday travelers to their places of work, after celebrating the Idul-Fitr festival with their families in their hometowns.          Jakarta has become one of the most sought after destinations for new migrants looking to move to urban areas. The exodus of tens of thousands of such migrants from rural and small-towns in Indonesia to the capital city every year after the annual Lebaran holiday has become something of a tradition.          However, as a result Jakarta has been facing urbanization problems, with a booming population of about 9.2 million, and an additional 2.7 million workers, who commute to the city on a daily basis for work, from satellite towns such as Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi.          So for all practical purposes, the total population of Jakarta can be pegged at 11.9 million during the day time.