2001 City Budget aims to improve general condition

JAKARTA (JP): In anticipation of an upturn in the economy, the city administration is predicting revenues of up to Rp 7 trillion (US$750 million), mostly from tax and retribution, for the 2001 City Budget.

City Secretary Fauzi Bowo said that annual estimates usually anticipated a revenue increase of about 10 percent.

Thus with improving economic conditions in the capital, there is confidence that these expected annual increases can be surpassed.

"However, we cannot provide the real figures now," Fauzi told journalists after meeting with Governor Sutiyoso to discuss the 2001 draft budget.

The revenue may also be augmented as this projection does not include income which could be gained as a result of the implementation of regional autonomy, such as possible retribution of toll road revenue and shares from the income tax of Jakarta's employees, worth around Rp 1.5 trillion.

Fauzi said that the increased revenue will be used to provide better facilities and improved security conditions for the capital's residents.

"In line with public demands, we will place security and order as the priority in the 2001 budget," Fauzi said.

"Also to reduce traffic congestion, we will speed up the construction of two flyovers in Kalibata, South Jakarta, and Pramuka, East Jakarta, along with the rehabilitation of some streets in the capital," Fauzi said.

"We are also considering going ahead with a Rp 1.3 trillion spending for a subway construction. But we are still considering another option in improving bus services in the capital before building the subway," he added referring to plans to establish a bus lane in the capital's main thoroughfare along with the replacement of aging buses.

Another massive project is the city's plan to relocate the Pulo Gadung intercity bus terminal to Pulo Gebang, East Jakarta. The construction of the new terminal on a designated 10 hectare plot will start late next year.

"We will also add more lights on city streets to reduce criminal activities along with recruiting 3,000 civil-guards (Kamra) as part of the financing of an integrated security system in the capital which also involves around 15,000 personnel including police and military," he added.

A second priority will be to improve the general conditions of the city's residents and the welfare of the city's employees on an area by area basis.

"We will have a project to directly distribute (funds) to 25 subdistricts to boost the people's economic abilities. Each subdistrict will receive Rp 2 billion. The subdistricts will be appointed randomly," he said.

For the city's employees, Fauzi said there will be around Rp 100,000 in additional welfare per month for each employee. The city currently has around 68,000 employees.

"We want to increase their welfare and in return we expect them to be more honest in doing their jobs and avoid any corruption. Of course we will also escalate monitoring mechanisms of employees," he added. (dja)