Jakarta govt big spender, but fails to address crucial issues<\/p>\n
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Jakarta administration spent Rp 10.38 trillion (US$1.2
\nbillion), or 89.79 percent of the 2003 city budget of Rp 11.56
\ntrillion, but failed to address crucial issues in the capital,
\nsaid a legislator.<\/p>\n
\"Such big spending, unfortunately, failed to appease the
\npublic,\" said councillor Syamsidar Siregar of the National
\nMandate Party (PAN) faction, criticizing the executive.<\/p>\n
Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso delivered his accountability speech
\non the 2003 city budget before the City Council on Tuesday
\nevening.<\/p>\n
Syamsidar said the administration had not used the fund for
\neducation properly, which was 15 percent of the city budget or Rp
\n1.6 trillion.<\/p>\n
\"It's ironic. We have received complaints from many people
\nabout high school fees although the city allocated a huge fund to
\nsubsidize education last year,\" she told The Jakarta Post by
\nphone.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso did not give details on spending for education in his
\nspeech but only said that the administration had spent a total of
\nRp 2.61 trillion on education and health.<\/p>\n
Syamsidar pointed out many irregularities.<\/p>\n
\"Aside from complaints about school fees, we also received
\nreports of damaged school buildings, while it was estimated that
\nthe buildings were not scheduled for renovation,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Some school buildings, which are generally totally renovated
\nonly after 30 years, were in a poor condition after only 18
\nyears, indicating that inferior materials may have been used in
\ntheir construction.<\/p>\n
Councillor Ahmad Heriyawan of the Justice Party faction said
\nthat the accountability speech also \"failed to address other
\ncrucial issues such as garbage disposal, a major issue for the
\n2003 city budget\".<\/p>\n
According to Heriyawan, the budget required the administration
\nto prepare alternative dump sites by early 2004 at the latest to
\nreplace Bantar Gebang in Bekasi. The contract between Jakarta and
\nBekasi expired last year before both administration agreed to
\nextend it. However, the extended contract received strong
\nopposition from Bekasi Council which demanded that the Bekasi
\nadministration close Bantar Gebang due to extensive environmental
\ndamage.<\/p>\n
To date, the Jakarta Sanitation Agency has also failed to open
\nfor city use the nine alternative dump sites it proposed earlier.
\nThe agency only managed to build an alternative dump in Bojong,
\nBogor regency. Despite its limited capacity, processing only
\n2,000 tons of Jakarta's 6,000 tons of daily waste, the dump was
\nstrongly opposed by locals for fear it would contaminate ground
\nwater and pollute the air.<\/p>\n
\"Due to its failure to manage the city's garbage, Jakarta
\nexperienced a garbage disposal crisis for several weeks. Worse,
\nthe sanitation agency dumped garbage in open, swampy land in
\nCilincing, North Jakarta, that caused pollution in the area,\"
\nHeriyawan said.<\/p>\n
The council factions are expected to present their general
\nviews on the budget accountability speech on March 29. The event
\nwill be at night as councillors are busy with their campaign
\nschedule.<\/p>",
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