City Council approves Rp 2.81 trillion budget

JAKARTA (JP): The City Council endorsed the Rp 2.81 trillion 1999/2000 city budget on Tuesday, a Rp 70.2 billion increase over the draft budget submitted by Governor Sutiyoso earlier this month.

After being endorsed, the budget now awaits final approval by the Ministry of Home Affairs before officially becoming a city bylaw.

The main sources of the Rp 70.2 billion budget increase are a Rp 279 million surplus from last year's budget and Rp 1.3 trillion in locally generated revenue.

The central government will provide the city Rp 1.23 trillion in the new budget.

The new budget's routine expenditure is expected to rise to Rp 2.08 trillion from last year's figure of Rp 2.06 trillion.

The budget's remaining Rp 731 billion will be spent on development, which last year was allocated Rp 683 billion.

The head of the City Council's Commission E for social welfare, Soeparmo, hailed the increases in the 1999/2000 budget, which takes effect on April 1.

The councilor particularly praised the substantial rise in the meal allowance for people at city social institutions and the increase in the food supplement fund for children.

The daily meal allowance for people at social institutions was increased to Rp 5,000 per person per day from Rp 2,000 in last year's budget. The allowance covers breakfast, lunch and dinner.

A total of Rp 7.12 billion was allocated for patients' meal allowances at the city's 21 public institutions, which include orphanages, psychiatric centers and nursing homes.

The 21 institutions are managed by the city social services agency.

The new budget doubles the allocation for food supplements for children from Rp 750 per child per day to Rp 1,500. According to the budget, the funds will be distributed to some 700 children in the capital.

"We thank God that the allocation has been increased even though the money is still not enough to buy good food," Soeparmo said.

The administration also allocated Rp 11.4 billion for the upcoming general election.

The allocation includes Rp 2.4 billion the political parties contesting the election, Rp 1 billion for voting booths and Rp 8 billion for civilian guards. (ind)