City Council cut budget for agency's projects

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

In an apparent demonstration of its power, the City Council decided last Saturday to reject dozens of projects worth billions of rupiah which were proposed by agencies of the city administration in the 2003 draft city budget.

In the council's plenary session, City Council Commission B for economic affairs reported that it had decided to reject 86 projects proposed by the city tourism, agriculture, forestry and trade agencies.

"The projects were not a priority and would be ineffective this year," Commission B chairman Syarif Zulkarnaen who is also a councillor of the United Development Party said in the session.

Among the projects that were not approved by the commission were the development of mangroves along Sedyatmo toll road in West Jakarta worth Rp 475 million and the improvement of chemical and agricultural industries and their promotion worth Rp 5 billion.

The Commission also rejected the development of human resources in a tourism project costing Rp 500 million, tourism promotion in Padang, West Sumatra; and Balikpapan, East Kalimantan worth Rp 750 million each and in Capetown, South Africa costing Rp 600 million.

The commission cut the fund for a project for the improvement of tourism services worth Rp 1 billion, a tourism study project worth Rp 400 million and international golf travel mart worth Rp 500 million.

Several projects which were proposed by the city-owned Ragunan Zoo were also cut by the commission, including the renovation of animals' cages worth about Rp 6 billion, the green area project worth Rp 4.5 billion, a study on animal genetics worth Rp 300 million and the animal expedition project worth Rp 500 million.

Besides rejecting the 86 projects, the commission also reduced the allocation of funds in the 2003 draft budget for dozens of other projects.

The development of agrotourism in Cilangkap, East Jakarta, worth Rp 1 billion was reduced to Rp 500 million, the development of basic industry and trade project worth Rp 43 billion was slashed to Rp 21 billion.

The allocation of Rp 18 billion for an industry information system project was also decreased to Rp 9.5 billion and the development of domestic trade of was cut from Rp 2.5 billion to Rp 1 billion.

Meanwhile, Commission A for legal and administrative affairs also cut funds worth billions of rupiah allocated for projects in the 2003 draft budget.

Several projects on women and gender issues worth Rp 3.5 billion were cut by the commission to Rp 1.5 billion, the allocation of Rp 1 billion for a population data project was reduced to Rp 750 million.

Other commissions: Commission D for development affairs, Commission C for financial and budgetary affairs and Commission E for social welfare affairs also rejected several projects but did not mention the value of the projects.

It is still unclear whether the councillors' decision to reject dozens of projects and reduce the funds for others was due to Sutiyoso's call on the councillors to agree to a reduction of the fund allocation of Rp 91.6 billion for the city's 85 councillors. He made the request after public criticism over the huge allocation.

City Governor Sutiyoso earlier announced that he would reduce the Rp 9 billion fund for himself as well as the fund for the councillors. The councillors fund includes various types of benefits such as health, welfare, family and clothing allowances.

Sutiyoso is scheduled to respond to the commissions' report in the City Council plenary session on Monday.

The 2003 draft budget, which amounts to Rp 11.05 trillion, would be approved by the council by the end of this month.