More funds to be disbursed for community programs<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The city administration could increase its funding of the
\nSubdistrict Community Empowerment Program (PPMK), despite
\nallegations of corruption and ineffectiveness.<\/p>\n
Community Empowerment Board (BPM) chairwoman Rohana Manggala
\nsaid that under the program, all subdistricts were entitled to
\nunlimited funds if they put forward feasible proposals.<\/p>\n
The PPMK is a soft-loan program, which does not require
\ncollateral or charge interest, using city money to allow
\nresidents to start small businesses.<\/p>\n
It began as a pilot program involving 25 subdistricts in 2001,
\nand expanded to 242 of the 267 subdistricts in Jakarta in 2002,
\nwith each receiving Rp 250 million. This year, the city doubled
\nthe funds to Rp 500 million.<\/p>\n
"Next year the amount could be more (or less), depending on
\nthe proposals from each subdistrict," Rohana said after a meeting
\nwith Vice Governor Fauzi Bowo on Monday.<\/p>\n
She said the city administration had nominated 12 subdistricts
\nas part of a pilot program, starting in June, to determine if the
\nprogram would be implemented fully next year.<\/p>\n
The subdistricts include Kelapa Dua Wetan and Makassar
\nsubdistricts in East Jakarta; Bendungan Hilir in Central Jakarta;
\nKedoya Utara and Cengkareng Barat in West Jakarta; Bukit Duri and
\nSrengseng Sawah in South Jakarta; Semper Barat and Penjaringan in
\nNorth Jakarta; and Pulau Panggang in the Thousand Islands
\nregency.<\/p>\n
Rohana said the administration had appointed the Bogor
\nAgricultural Institute as consultant for the pilot.<\/p>\n
The PPMK is plagued by corruption. A number of activists have
\nalso criticized the role played by the subdistrict councils
\n(Dekel), which originally had a controlling function in the
\nsubdistricts.<\/p>\n
Rohana admitted that at least six cases of corruption
\ninvolving Rp 900 million of PPMK funds were detected last year.<\/p>\n
The corruption allegedly occurred in five subdistricts in
\nCentral Jakarta, namely Serdang, Karet Tengsin, Paseban and
\nBungur subdistricts; and one in Kelapa Dua subdistrict, West
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
Rohana said the money for this year's program could be
\ndisbursed next month with a condition that bad debt from the
\nprevious year was less than 30 percent of the total funds issued.<\/p>\n
"If bad debt reaches 30 percent we will delay the disbursement
\nuntil the debts are returned," Rohana said, adding that total bad
\ndebt of the Rp 60 billion program had reached about Rp 4 billion.<\/p>\n
Asked if management of the funds would still be controlled by
\nDekel next year, Rohana said the city administration was still
\nundecided. However, he said that this year the subdistrict heads
\nwould be involved in supervising the disbursement of the funds by
\nDekel.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/more-funds-to-be-disbursed-for-community-programs-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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