House approves bill on 1995-1996 state budget<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Budgetary Commission of the House of
\nRepresentatives (DPR) yesterday approved a bill on the
\ngovernment's 1995-1996 budget, which calls for an 11.9 percent
\nincrease in both revenue and spending.<\/p>\n
The bill on the 1995-1996 national budget, proposed by
\nPresident Soeharto to the House in early January, will formally
\nbe approved by the House in a plenary session tomorrow.<\/p>\n
At the final sitting of the Budgetary Commission yesterday,
\nits four factions -- Golongan Karya (Golkar), the United
\nDevelopment Party (PPP), the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI)
\nand the Armed Forces -- called on the government to closely
\nsafeguard the implementation of the tight budget.<\/p>\n
Under the draft budget for 1995-1996, both government revenue
\nand spending are expected to rise to Rp 78.02 trillion ($36.28
\nbillion) from Rp 69.74 trillion budgeted for this fiscal year,
\nwhich ends next month.<\/p>\n
Besides tightening its control over state revenue and
\nspending, the PDI called on the government to give serious
\nattention to the problem of bad debts in the banking industry.<\/p>\n
Marwan Adam, a PDI spokesman, said that the bad debt problem,
\nin both private and state banks, should be solved through
\nexisting legal procedures.<\/p>\n
The financial circumstances of large debtors who are suspected
\nof being unable to repay their loans according to the existing
\nschedules should be closely monitored, he said.<\/p>\n
\"If necessary, the government should appoint an independent
\ncompany to take over the management of the debtor firms,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Sa'di Zen Nur, a spokesman for the Moslem-dominated PPP,
\ncalled on the government to closely monitor prices in an attempt
\nto counter stronger inflationary pressure in the 1995-1996 fiscal
\nyear, which begins in April.<\/p>\n
The PPP said the inflation rate, which reached 1.16 percent in
\nJanuary, could further rise in the following months if stricter
\nmeasures were not taken to control prices.<\/p>\n
Sa'di said that the buying spree taking place before the Idul
\nFitri holiday and the increase in the salaries of civil servants
\nand members of the Armed Forces would automatically cause prices
\nto rise.<\/p>\n
\"It is, therefore, necessary to punish those who raise prices
\nto unreasonable levels,\" he said. (hen)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/house-approves-bill-on-1995-1996-state-budget-1447893297",
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