Council set to approve budget on Friday<\/p>\n
Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The City Council is set to approve the Rp 11.075 trillion (US$1.2
\nbillion) 2003 city budget on Friday despite the absence of public
\ndebate and controversial fund allocations.<\/p>\n
The draft city budget has been widely criticized for its lack
\nof transparency since it was discussed in closed-door meetings
\nbetween city councillors and city officials, including at a hotel
\nin Ciloto, Puncak, West Java.<\/p>\n
Activists deplored the Ciloto meeting -- which the police
\nbroke up last week because it caused heavy traffic congestion --
\nand other closed-door meetings, saying that there was an effort
\nto avoid public scrutiny.<\/p>\n
At least five non-governmental organizations: the Indonesian
\nForum for Budget Transparency (Fitra), the Urban Poor Consortium,
\nthe Women's Coalition, Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) and the
\nJakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH) regretted the lack of public
\ndebate since the initial drafting of the budget.<\/p>\n
"Closed-door meetings could be perceived as a conspiracy
\nbetween councillors and city officials to avoid public scrutiny,"
\nLBH lawyer Uli Parulian said in a hearing with councillors on
\nWednesday.<\/p>\n
Wednesday's hearing, the only one conducted with NGOs since
\nthe draft budget was submitted on Jan. 14, proved to be futile
\nand had no impact on the budget.<\/p>\n
Among issues that were discussed in the closed-door meetings
\nwere the reduction in the governor's allocation from Rp 9 billion
\nto Rp 8 billion, the deputy governor's allocation from Rp 6
\nbillion to Rp 5 billion and the 85 councillors' allocation from
\nRp 122 billion to Rp 117 billion.<\/p>\n
It was agreed that the budget would total Rp 11.075 trillion,
\n20 percent more than last year's Rp 9.7 trillion budget. City
\nofficials and councillors were still debating fund allocations on
\nThursday.<\/p>\n
Governor Sutiyoso objected on Wednesday to the council's
\nsuggestion of reducing the allocation for education and an
\nincrease in the allocation for security and order.<\/p>\n
The councillors suggested that the Rp 500 billion education
\nallocation be cut by Rp 80 billion and the 136 billion police
\nallocation increased by Rp 17 billion.<\/p>\n
"If there is a reduction, the amount should be transferred for
\nthe purchase of garbage trucks or equipment for the fire
\ndepartment," Sutiyoso said at City Hall.<\/p>\n
Separately, council deputy chairman Chudlary Syafei Hadzami
\nsaid the council had decided to reduce the education allocation
\nsince the city would receive Rp 182 billion from the education
\nministry.<\/p>\n
"The Rp 17 billion will be donated to the city police as
\nadditional funding as the money allocated for the police was only
\nRp 10 billion," Chudlary of the United Development Party said.<\/p>\n
He said some Rp 20 billion of the fund would be used by the
\npolice to develop a crisis center while the remaining Rp 7
\nbillion would be spent on bomb detectors.<\/p>\n
Last year's budget amounted to Rp 9.7 trillion, but about Rp
\n2.1 trillion or 23 percent of the money was left unspent,
\nreflecting poor planning and implementation of projects.<\/p>",
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