Basofi's van buying spree sparks criticism<\/p>\n
SURABAYA (JP): East Java governor Basofi Sudirman has come
\nunder fire for buying 640 Isuzu Panther vans worth Rp 23 billion
\n(US$9.7 million) for subdistrict chiefs without consulting the
\nlegislative council.<\/p>\n
The multipurpose vans are intended to make the subdistrict
\nchiefs more mobile in handling activities related to the 1997
\ngeneral election.<\/p>\n
Basofi's critics suspect that the vans were handed over on
\nAug. 7 as \"incentives\" for the local officials to mobilize
\nsupport for the ruling political organization, Golkar.<\/p>\n
The criticism was leveled Thursday by councilors from Golkar's
\nrivals, the United Development Party (PPP) and the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party (PDI).<\/p>\n
One PDI councilor said that the provincial government spends
\ntoo much money on its employees while it only allocates 16.6
\npercent of its Rp 100 billion development fund for vital
\nactivities such as poverty reduction.<\/p>\n
\"This misplaced priority will encourage large-scale leakage in
\nthe government budget and confuse the public,\" said Fatimah Hany
\nHarnanik, the PDI's spokeswoman in the council.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the PPP criticized the governor for his failure to
\nconsult with the legislative council before going on his buying
\nspree.<\/p>\n
\"The provincial budget revisions have not even been approved
\nyet by the legislative council and the government has already
\nhanded over the vans bought with money from the state budget,\"
\nPPP councilor Mu'thy Nurhadi said.<\/p>\n
Written on the sides of each deep blue colored van is \"Back to
\nthe Village\" -- Basofi's slogan for his development policy that
\nfocuses on rural areas.<\/p>\n
Basofi argued that the subdistrict chiefs \"urgently need\" the
\nvans to replace their aging Mitsubishi vans.<\/p>\n
He said he would explain the purchase to the legislative
\ncouncil in due time. \"Allegations that the vans are intended as
\nincentives for subdistrict chiefs are groundless,\" he told The
\nJakarta Post.<\/p>\n
An informed source told the Post that of the 640 vans, 32 are
\nbonus vans, offered by car dealers to the government.<\/p>\n
Mu'thy said the vans were bought at the expense of other
\nneeds. (15\/pan)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/basofis-van-buying-spree-sparks-criticism-1447893297",
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