The future doesn’t seem bright for several regional companies that manage drinking water. In Palembang, customers have been refusing to pay their water bills from last Monday because the rate has suddenly shot up 600 percent. In Jakarta, the picture is no less gloomy.

The Jakarta Municipal Drinking Water Company (PAM Jaya) is on the brink of bankruptcy. Even amended agreements with PAM Lyonnaise Jaya (Palyja) and Thames PAM Jaya (TPJ)