TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:The Ministry of Public Works supports the Jakarta administration’s efforts in conducting contract renegotiations with its partners, water firms Aetra Air Jakarta and Perusahaan Air Minum Lyonnaise Jaya (Palyja). The renegotiation is expected to be conducted with careful consideration, and with full conscientiousness in reviewing every article in the contracts. “We don’t want the Jakarta Water Company (PAM Jaya) to incur more risks after the contract is signed,” said Rachmat Karnadi, director of the Public Works Ministry’s Drinking Water Provision System Development Support Division, at a workshop on Saturday. According to Rachmat, an ideal cooperation must put the risk in the water operator’s side, not in PAM Jaya’s side as such had been the case so far. The contract, signed in 1997, has been accused as the cause for Jakarta’s expensive clean water tariff of Rp7,800 per cubic meter. AMANDRA MUSTIKA | WURAGIL