Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Vice President M Jusuf Kalla said the government would install 10 million tap water connections within the next three years or much faster than in the five years planned earlier.
"It should be installed sooner than the five year target, if possible it will be completed within three years," Kalla said here on Wednesday at the opening of the "Nusantara Water Exhibition 2008" at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC).
The exhibition was organized to promote the 10 million tap water connections program by 2013.
The development of the 10 million connections should be accelerated because it was relatively easier than the construction of 10,000 MW power plants, he said.
He said tap water technology had hardly changed over the past one decade. Besides, the clean water management used a lot of local contents therefore it could be easily done, he said.
"To install 10 million connections, there is no need to clear lands such as those for toll road construction which is quite difficult," he said.
He said the government treated the water issue like other basic necessities such as rice and electricity. Therefore, the government would do anything to make sure that the people have access to tap water supplies.
Vice President Kalla said that government would ask national banks to help finance the 10 million tap water connection program.
He explained there were just 10 million tap water connections which had been installed over the past 30 years.
"The government will ask the national banking to finance it. This is nothing to do with the upcoming General Elections 2009. This is for the people," he said.
To promote the clean water supply program, the government has written-off the past debts of regional water supply companies (PDAM), and restore forests and river basin areas, according to Kalla.
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