Activists criticize annual budget for Makassar

Activists criticize annual budget for Makassar

MAKASSAR, South Sulawesi (JP): Some 50 people claiming to
represent 11 districts in the city of Makassar crowded the
legislative council office on Friday, demanding that the 2001
mayoralty budget approved earlier this month be revised.

The members of Makassar People's Solidarity said that
the Rp 433 billion budget did not address the needs of citizens.

They dubbed the increase in legislators' monthly salaries,
from Rp 4.5 million per month last year to between Rp 7 million
and Rp 8 million this year, as unjustifiable.

The decision to increase the legislators' monthly salaries
strongly indicates that both the executive and the legislature
lack an understanding of the crises, the protesters said.

Some non-governmental organizations (NGOs) also took to the
streets protesting the new budget.

Andi Rudiyanto Asapa, president of the Makassar Lawyers Club,
said that his organization planned to file a lawsuit against the
legislators for ignoring public participation when drafting the
budget.

"The legislators should have held public hearings regarding
the budget. The provincial budget always attracts people's
interest, meaning that, the larger the budget the heavier the
burden on the people will be," Asapa said.

Meanwhile, speaker of the mayoralty legislative council
Zainuddin, who is also coordinator of the budgetary team, said
that everything was reasonable.

"Compared to the salaries of legislators in Yogyakarta and
Tangerang, which are between Rp 11.5 million and Rp 13 million,
the Makassar legislators get a very moderate amount," he said.

In the South Sumatra capital of Palembang, the public and NGOs
have also reacted against the 2001 provincial budget, totaling Rp
605 billion (around US$60.5 million), which was approved by the
legislature on Wednesday.

To the people's surprise, the amount is Rp 28 billion more
than the executive's initial proposal of Rp 577 billion. Last
year's provincial budget was only Rp 396 billion.

Azis Kemis, chairman of the Indonesian Forum for Budget
Transparency, said on Thursday that the salary increase for
legislators was unjustifiable.

The new budget accommodates the sensational increase in
legislators' monthly salaries from Rp 6 million to around Rp 15
million.

Joining the criticism, M. Suharni, a researcher of the Center
of Policy Study and People's Participation, said that the budget
also included a large sum of money for the legislators' income
tax and other 'vague expenses'.

According to Kemis, the budget was against the Ministry of
Home Affairs and Regional Autonomy's circular No. 903
and Regulation No. 110/2000, which prohibited the inclusion of
expenditure for the construction of new buildings and
rehabilitation of old buildings.

"Allocations for sports activities are also not recommended.
However, the budget allocates Rp 47 billion for a stadium
rehabilitation project and Rp 2 million for sports events," Kemis
said. (27/33/sur)