This month we celebrate the achievement of our home city in being awarded four amazing awards by, I believe, the Central Government. Here’s the story, lifted directly from The Jakarta Globe.
“The Indonesian capital’s administration has been awarded four awards, dubbed the Anugerah Pangripta Nusantara 2016 and the Millennium Development Goals 2016, for its outstanding city planning system.
“It is the first time in history,” Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama said at the State Palace on Wednesday (11/05).
The four awards are for the categories of Province with the Best Planning, Province with Innovative Planning, Province with Progressive Planning, as well as the Best MDGs 2016 on the category of Highest Achievement in MDGs in 2015.
Basuki said he was unaware of the city being under consideration as he only submitted the electronic system used for planning, which includes regional budget proposals (e-budgeting).
“MDGs were also measured, for how long it takes for people to obtain a good education and health, purchasing power and clean water,” Basuki said.
The governor said he intends to maintain the city’s achievements by completing future targets with the use of the Smart Jakarta and Health cards, as well as improving transportation and business.
The awards are given annually to the best provinces in Indonesia, in an awarding ceremony at the State Palace, Jakarta”.
Far be it from me to decry these awards as I’m sure regular readers of this column would expect! I am happy to congratulate them and just add a cautionary note: these awards are for “Best Planning,” “Innovative Planning,” “Progressive Planning,” and “Millennium Development Goals”. None of them are for actually doing anything.
There is an old English saying, “There’s many a slip twixt cup and lip” which definitely applies here. Does the governor have the right people, the right backing, the right teams to actually implement these wonderful plans? Or will they simply end up like my business plans, which said I would be a multi millionaire by 50, as cast off pipe dreams.
I hope not but, honestly, why give awards for planning when the people need results they can see, taste, feel and experience?
Alistair G. Speirs
Break a Sweat
The Bible has much to say on human life and even on an issue like Break a Sweat, God has something to say to us: “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come”. 1Timothy 4:8. Exercise should have a priority but godliness an even higher priority. (Godliness is living as God would want us to.)
What place does exercise have in our lives and what place does godliness have? Have we got our priorities right?
Think on it.
Rev. Ian Hadfield, Vicar All Saints Church www.allsaintsjakarta.org
