City Councillors slam Sutiyoso's 2006 programs<\/p>\n
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
City councillors said on Friday that many of Jakarta governor
\nSutiyoso's programs for next year failed to incorporate
\nperformance indicators and yardsticks to evaluate whether or not
\nthey were successful.<\/p>\n
Ben V.B. Sitompul of the Golkar Party faction said during a
\nplenary session to voice final comments on Sutiyoso's 2006
\nprograms on Friday that many of them were simply \"non-
\nmeasurable\".<\/p>\n
\"In fact, every program designed by the administration must be
\ncomplemented with performance indicators so that their
\nimplementation and outcomes can be evaluated transparently and
\naccountably,\" Ben said.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso presented his programs to the councillors in early
\nOctober.<\/p>\n
The governor may not necessarily heed the councillors' views,
\nbut his programs are expected to be included in the 2006 budget,
\nwhich Sutiyoso has yet to submit to the City Council for
\ndeliberation.<\/p>\n
Ben pointed out that Sutiyoso's priority programs, like the
\ndevelopment of the East Flood Canal, busways, low-cost apartments,
\nwaste treatment plants, port facilities, overpasses and
\nunderpasses, a Mass Rapid Transit system and a replanting
\nprogram, were among those that lacked performance indicators.<\/p>\n
Muhammad Arifin of the Prosperous Justice Party faction
\nexpressed a similar view to Ben's, and urged the administration
\nto give time-bound targets so that the public could help monitor
\nthe implementation of the programs.<\/p>\n
\"The administration also needs to combine similar programs in
\norder to make budgetary spending more efficient,\" Arifin said.<\/p>\n
As an example, he pointed to the budget allocations for the
\ndifferent city agencies and bureaus for the drafting of bylaws,
\nwhich could all be covered by a single budget allocation to the
\nJakarta Legal Bureau.<\/p>\n
\"We would also advise the administration to scrap some
\nprograms we think will be ineffective, like the native Jakarta
\nAbang None pageant at the municipal level, as well as other
\ncontests, like the singing bird contest, choir contest for women
\nmembers of the Family Welfare Movement (PKK), etc.,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He also underlined that the administration should improve the
\nplanning of priority programs to avoid delays.<\/p>\n
Syamsidar Siregar of the National Mandate Party faction also
\nhighlighted the city administration's poor record in planning,
\nwhich he said had hampered the development of new busway
\ncorridors linking Pulogadung in East Jakarta to Harmoni in
\nCentral Jakarta and from Harmoni to Kalideres in West Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"We have heard that project progress as of October this year
\nonly amounted to 40 percent. Unfortunately, the administration is
\npressing ahead with completing the projects before the end of this
\nyear. We are afraid this will affect the quality of the
\nprojects,\" Syamsidar said.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso refrained from commenting on the councillors'
\ncriticism that his programs for next year lacked performance
\nindicators.<\/p>\n
Instead, he focused on the city councillors' criticisms that
\nsome of his major development programs for 2005 had become bogged
\ndown.<\/p>\n
The governor blamed the slow progress on the protracted
\ndeliberations by the councillors before approving the city
\nbudget.<\/p>\n
The city's 2005 budget was endorsed only in March, prompting
\nSutiyoso to work on the 2004 budget for the first two months of
\nthe year.<\/p>\n
Aside from the busway projects, other projects that saw delays
\nwere the monorail project, MRT, waste treatment plants, inner
\ncity highways, the Jakarta New Port and the East Flood Canal.<\/p>",
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