City Council endorses amended 2000 budget

JAKARTA (JP): All 11 factions on the City Council endorsed on Tuesday the amended 2000 city budget which is set to yield a Rp 669.7 billion (US$77 million) surplus.

In a plenary session on Tuesday, all 11 factions on the council stated that the surplus and the resulting increase in the administration's spending, including the purchase of 55 new official cars for city councillors, are acceptable.

Speaking after the plenary session, Governor Sutiyoso told journalists that "personally " he did not agree with the purchase of cars for councillors "as it is not a priority".

"But it seems we were forced to accept the demand and so we have to approve it," Sutiyoso remarked.

Demand

Sutiyoso said he initially expected the councillors not to press the demand as it would cost the city some Rp 5.5 billion (US$625,000).

Out of a total of 85 councillors, 30 of them have already received official cars. The first batch to receive cars consisted of the city council speaker, faction chairmen and senior members of the five council commissions.

According to information obtained from the council's secretariat, councillors will each be assigned a Hyundai Accent car with a value well in excess of Rp 100 million.

It is estimated that some Rp 40 billion will be allocated in the budget for the purchase of the cars and land plots for the councillors.

Surplus

With regard to the use of the budget surplus, most council factions suggested that it be used to improve public services.

The Golkar Party faction highlighted the need to eliminate fees for the issuing of identity cards.

"The city administration should as soon as possible introduce a bill to amend the city bylaw on identity cards, so that the public will not have to pay for the issuing or renewal of their ID cards," Golkar's Anna Rudhiantiana said during the plenary session.

Anna added that her faction had also urged the city administration to delegate the authority to issue driving licenses to the capital's five mayoralties and improve the welfare of city employees.

The largest faction on the city council, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), called on the administration to focus on the development of small and medium enterprises so as to improve the quality of life for the poor. (dja)