1. DEMO: 2 X 16<\/p>\n
Fuel price increase
\nsparks massive protests
\nOR
\nFuel price increase
\nmet with massive demos<\/p>\n
2. TKI: 3 X 15<\/p>\n
Predawn raids
\nmark crackdown
\non illegals<\/p>\n
3. SOCC: 1 X 28<\/p>\n
DONE BY BRUCE<\/p>\n
4. FUEL: 3 X 16<\/p>\n
Govt pledges funds
\nfor poor free
\nfrom corruption<\/p>\n
4. FUEL: 3 X 16<\/p>\n
Govt pledges funds
\nfor poor free
\nfrom corruption<\/p>\n
Public concern that the Rp 17.8 trillion low-income assistance
\nfund from the reduction in the fuel subsidy will miss the target
\n-- which is some 16 percent of Indonesia's 220 million population
\n-- has prompted the government to make an all-out effort to make
\nsure that the money goes to the needy.<\/p>\n
Among the efforts are the setting up of a special team tasked
\nwith monitoring the channeling of the funds as well as allocating
\na Rp 132 billion (US$14.27 million) special fund for the
\n\"safeguarding\" process.<\/p>\n
\"The safeguarding fund will be taken from the funds for the
\npoor. A special team consisting of officials from various state
\nagencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) will be tasked
\nwith supervising the channeling of the assistance funds,\" State
\nMinister of National Development Planning Sri Mulyani Indrawati
\nsaid late on Monday after the announcement on the fuel price
\nincrease.<\/p>\n
The government announced an average of 29 percent increase in
\nfuel prices, arguing that the move was for the benefit of the
\nnation as it would lead to greater funding allocations for
\nwelfare programs, encourage more efficient fuel usage and prevent
\nfuel smuggling.<\/p>\n
The safeguarding efforts will include planning coordination,
\nmonitoring, evaluation, supervision, auditing and the securing of
\nthe low-income assistance funds.<\/p>\n
\"The government will task the Development Finance Comptroller
\n(BPKP) with auditing the low-income assistance funds each year to
\ntrack down any irregularities in the use of the funds,\" she said.<\/p>\n
According to Mulyani, the success of the government in
\nchanneling the funds could be measured at the end of the year
\nbased on three categories -- target accuracy, the amount of funds
\nspent and time accuracy.<\/p>\n
The assessment on whether the funds had or had not reached the
\ntarget will be conducted by the comptroller, NGOs and a private
\nauditor, she said.<\/p>\n
The government has promised to allocate Rp 10.5 trillion of
\nthe Rp 20.3 trillion saved by cutting the fuel subsidy to finance
\na number of programs targeted directly at the poor.<\/p>\n
The Rp 10.5 trillion will be added to the Rp 7.3 trillion
\nalready earmarked in the 2005 state budget for programs aimed at
\nassisting low-income families and individuals.<\/p>\n
The majority of the funds will go toward a scholarship
\nprogram, the purchase of subsidized rice for the poor, rural
\ninfrastructure projects and health programs.<\/p>\n
However, based on past experience, the low-income assistance
\nfunds could become a target of corruption, particularly by local
\nadministrations.<\/p>\n
For instance, a coalition of NGOs has found that 75 percent of
\nthe state funds saved from lowering fuel subsidies in 2001 have
\nmissed the target, mostly due to corruption.<\/p>\n
The government allocated Rp 2.2 trillion in low-income
\nassistance funds following a rise in fuel prices in 2001.<\/p>\n
Recently, the comptroller also reported misuses of the 2001
\nassistance funds in 2003, worth Rp 21.56 billion or 1.48 percent
\nof the audit samples worth Rp 1.46 trillion.<\/p>\n
The House of Representatives, however, later called into
\nquestion the comptroller's report as the figures mentioned were
\ntoo low compared to those arrived at by the NGOs.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/1-demo-2-x-16-1447899208",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}