Councilors ask for more work on city budget<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): City councilors suggested on Wednesday the
\nJakarta administration further refine the proposed 2000 City
\nBudget while also asking for a detailed explanation of several
\nparts of the Rp 3.295 trillion (US$438.6 million) draft budget.<\/p>\n
In a hearing with the city administration's top officials, the
\ncouncilors reviewed the effectiveness of the administration in
\nraising larger revenue to finance the city budget, particularly
\ndue to the possible enactment of laws on regional autonomy next
\nyear.<\/p>\n
They also insisted that the city administration, among others
\nthings, immediately urge the central government to revoke Law No.
\n18\/1997 on Regional Taxes and Levies.<\/p>\n
According to the councilors, the law prohibits the
\nadministration from increasing its revenue to fund its own
\nbudget.<\/p>\n
\"City councilors and officials must work together to revoke
\nthis law because it has played a significant role in shrinking
\nthe city's revenue,\" Mukhayar RM of the Justice Party (PK)
\nfaction said in a written statement.<\/p>\n
He received support from fellow councilors, including Totok
\nIsmunandar from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
\nPerjuangan).<\/p>\n
Last Friday Governor Sutiyoso delivered a proposal of the 2000
\nCity Budget, effective from April 1 to Dec. 31, to the city
\ncouncilors.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso did not appear at the hearing on Wednesday, instead
\nrepresented by Deputy Governor for Economic and Financial Affairs
\nFauzie Alvi Yassin.<\/p>\n
Councillor Posman Siahaan of the Justice and Unity Party (PKP)
\nsuggested another approach to increasing revenue.<\/p>\n
\"It's more important to provide a good and professional
\nservice to residents and at the same time city officials have to
\nprevent financial leakage,\" he suggested.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Military (TNI)\/National Police faction called
\non the administration to make significant efforts to be more
\nthrifty, such as by halting spending to finance the maintenance
\ncosts for official cars used by city officials.<\/p>\n
M. Soekiyadhi of the faction even proposed the administration
\nstop providing official cars to its staff.<\/p>\n
\"The city administration could actually provide a private car
\nownership loan for the officials instead,\" said<\/p>\n
Many of the councilors urged the administration to focus more
\non businesses.<\/p>\n
They suggested, for example, the privatization of the City
\nParking Agency which would help the administration to earn more
\nrevenue.<\/p>\n
\"We'll propose later that the city administration collect a 25
\npercent share from the total revenues earned by the privately-
\nowned parking companies,\" said Anna Rudhiantiana of the Golkar
\nParty.<\/p>\n
Totok of PDI Perjuangan also questioned the reasoning of
\nSutiyoso's administration in putting the parking revenue target
\nduring the nine-month period at Rp 16 billion, in which Rp 14
\nbillion of the total would be allocated for operational costs.<\/p>\n
\"What kind of trick is this?\"<\/p>\n
Totok, therefore, wanted the administration to reveal details
\nof the proposed operational costs in the city's parking sectors.<\/p>\n
According to Muchayar, the administration could also merge
\ncity-owned companies in related sectors in an attempt to simplify
\nthe control over the use of the money.<\/p>\n
Councillor Chudlary Syafi'i Hadzami of the United Development
\nParty (PPP) faction recommended the administration drop its plan
\nto allocate over Rp 19.77 billion to the City Tourism Agency
\nsince the agency was not effective in attracting tourists.<\/p>\n
\"It's better to allocate that large amount of money to the
\nCity Investment Coordinating Board (BKPMD), which could hold
\npromotional activities abroad to lure foreign investors,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The councilors also questioned the administration's reason for
\nallocating a small amount of money to important sectors.<\/p>\n
Halim Asyhari of the National Mandate Party (PAN) said the
\nproposed spending for education in the capital at some Rp 67.5
\nbillion during the period was extremely inadequate.<\/p>\n
\"It's important for schools to be sufficiently equipped with,
\nfor example, laboratories and other standard equipment,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Saman Husni of the Crescent Star Party (PBB) faction said the
\nmaintenance budget for offices, schools and health centers at
\nabout Rp 150 billion was also obviously too small.<\/p>\n
\"The amount may seem quite big but there are a lot of schools
\nand health centers to be renovated, especially those which are
\ninundated every year,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Most councilors also asked the city administration to reveal
\nin detail all projects described in the proposal.<\/p>\n
Governor Sutiyoso is slated to deliver his response on the
\ncouncilors' remarks on the draft budget next Monday in a similar
\nhearing at the council. (09\/nvn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/councilors-ask-for-more-work-on-city-budget-1447893297",
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