Six local governments chosen as role models<\/p>\n
Sri Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
Three municipalities and three regencies have been chosen to
\nact as role models due to their successful implementation of a
\n\"performance based budget\", which improves transparency and
\nefficiency in the use of state funds.<\/p>\n
The government owned Building Institutions for Good Governance
\n(BIGG) said the six regions that had managed their budgets on the
\nthe performance-based system had allowed the public to play a
\ngreater role in the use of state funds.<\/p>\n
The three municipalities are Bukit Tinggi in the province of
\nWest Sumatra, Bogor in West Java and Samarinda in East
\nKalimantan. The three regencies are Gowa in South Sulawesi, and
\nSukoharjo and Pati both in Central Java.<\/p>\n
\"Samarinda managed to save Rp 6 billion (about US$689,000)
\nlast year,\" Samarinda Mayor Achmad Amins said on Thursday in a
\npress conference after a two-day meeting with representatives of
\nother regions to discuss the performance budget.<\/p>\n
He said the city expected to save another Rp 13 billion
\nthrough the performance budget next year.<\/p>\n
Managing regional budgets under the performance budget system
\nhas been required by law since 2000.<\/p>\n
Under the performance budget, local governments are required
\nto give the public a greater say in the drafting of the budget as
\nwell as in its use.<\/p>\n
It also demands greater detail in the planning of the budget
\nto avoid officials overstating their estimated spending.<\/p>\n
Jakarta introduced these measures to avoid a surge in
\ncorruption and inefficiency at the regional level with the
\nimplementation of the Autonomy Law in 2001.<\/p>\n
The Autonomy Law gives some of the central government's power
\nto provinces, regencies and mayoralties. But the move has also
\ndecentralized corruption, analysts have said.<\/p>\n
So far few have fully implemented the performance budget, said
\nBIGG program coordinator Charles P. Poluan Jr.<\/p>\n
He said BIGG hoped the six local governments would each take
\nat least two other local governments under their wing to help
\nthem implement the performance-based budget.<\/p>\n
\"By doing so, we hope to transfer their experience to the
\nother 400 and more municipalities and regencies throughout the
\ncountry,\" Poluan said.<\/p>\n
BIGG was formed by the Washington-based International
\nCity\/County Management Association (ICMA) and the Indonesian
\nMinistry of Finance and the Ministry of Home Affairs.<\/p>\n
It is part of a technical assistance program funded by the
\nUnited States Agency for International Development (USAID).<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/six-local-governments-chosen-as-role-models-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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