JAKARTA – At a ceremony today, the governments of Indonesia, the United States and Switzerland unveiled a new agreement to bring clean water to 60,000 urban Indonesians by strengthening seven local water utilities (Perusahaan Daerah Air Minum, or PDAMs) across Central and West Java. The Honorable Joseph R. Donovan Jr, Ambassador of the United States to Indonesia; H.E. Kurt Kunz, Ambassador of Switzerland to Indonesia; the Honorable Bambang Brodjonegoro, Minister of National Development Planning/BAPPENAS; and representatives of the seven PDAMs participated in the event.
Thirty-nine million Indonesians in urban areas still lack access to clean water for daily needs, including drinking, cooking, and basic hygiene. PDAMs across the country struggle to bridge this gap, facing hurdles to improved energy efficiency and reduced loss and leakage– sometimes up to a third of the outgoing supply– as water travels from source to consumer.
Through the new agreement, the Government of Switzerland expanded the U.S. Government’s ongoing water and sanitation efforts through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), with a US $4.5 million contribution from the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). This contribution will reduce water loss and increase energy efficiency of these additional PDAMs.
“Switzerland is proud to partner with the Government of Indonesia and USAID to improve water services in Central and West Java. This additional financing will strengthen the institutional capacity and performance of PDAMs and ultimately lead to an increase in access to water for Indonesian citizens. We hope that the lessons and learning from the program will allow to expand water infrastructure in Indonesia and to develop institutional models to improve the efficiency of water resource management across the country,” said Swiss Ambassador Kunz.
U.S. Ambassador Donovan said: “We thank the Swiss Government for expanding our water and sanitation partnership. This agreement showcases our strong mutual support for the Government of Indonesia’s commitment to provide access to drinking water for all. 2019 marks the 70th anniversary of relations between the U.S. and Indonesia; our joint water programs have benefited nearly 5 million Indonesians. We look forward to working together to ensure prosperity for Indonesians.”
“We appreciate the partnership with the Government of the United States through USAID and the Government of Switzerland through SECO in supporting the development of water and sanitation in Indonesia, especially in addressing the non-revenue water and energy efficiency. Non-revenue water and energy efficiency are very important for PDAMs, as inefficiency adversely impacts their ability to expand services and improve access. I look forward to the outcomes of this pilot model in supporting our goals to provide 10 million house connections in the next 5 years,” said Minister Brodjonegoro.
Ir. Maryanto, PDAM Surakarta City President Director, said: “We are thrilled to have USAID and SECO as our new partners. Water lost to inefficient distribution meant less water available to support human health and well-being, businesses and industry, and less revenue for PDAMs to provide additional services. The initiative of this partnership will link into existing capacity building programs and institutions of PDAMs.”
About USAID
USAID is the world’s premier international development agency and a catalytic actor driving development results. Our work advances U.S. national security and economic prosperity and supports self-reliance and resilience. Through the USAID Indonesia Urban Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Penyehatan Lingkungan untuk Semua (IUWASH PLUS) program, we support the Government of Indonesia’s efforts toward 100 percent universal access to safe water and proper sanitation by 2019, in line with the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for water and sanitation.
About SECO
SECO’s mandate is to enable sustainable and inclusive growth in middle-income countries. “Inclusive” means that all segments of the population prosper from such growth, and “sustainable” means that it does not compromise the well-being of future generations. It supports its partner countries in their efforts to create more and better jobs, set up effective institutions and deliver efficient public services, develop sustainable trade and a stronger competitive stance on international markets, and it encourages climate-smart business practices.
For more information on USAID, visit www.usaid.gov/Indonesia, on SECO, visit https://www.seco-cooperation.admin.ch/secocoop/en/home.html.
Media Contact: Swiny Andina, USAID Indonesia, sandina@usaid.gov
