Jakarta. Vice-gubernatorial candidate Rao Karno said on Sunday Jakarta has the widest income gap among all provinces and suggested several tangible programs to tackle the issue if he and his running mate Pramono Anung win the election.

During the second debate aired by BTV news network, Rano said the income gap becomes a problem when the cost of living keeps rising.

"We can’t deny that Jakarta has the highest [income] gap nationally. Jakarta is home to those with the highest and lowest incomes,” Rano said.

The priority program he plans to introduce is to ensure access to affordable food and other basic commodities.

"We need to shorten the supply chain. Municipally-owned food companies in Jakarta must intervene in the market professionally," he said. "Secondly, we must expand our affordable public transport system with more routes across Greater Jakarta and reduce the waiting time."

In addition, Rano and Pramono plan to provide free education for children in Jakarta and introduce transit-oriented development in which new residential areas are built within the transportation network.

Rano claimed that his team has identified 15 groups of the Jakarta population who will be entitled to free transportation services covering the mass rapid transit (MRT), the light rail transit (LRT), the bus network TransJakarta, and the city’s public transport cars known as Jaklingko. 

“We expect these measures to greatly ease inflation pressure in Jakarta," Rano said.

Held exactly a month before the election, the debate carried the theme of “economic and social welfare”.

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