City proposes extra funding for construction projects

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The city administration has proposed an additional Rp 500 billion (US$55.55 million) for the 2004 city budget, increasing the total budget to Rp 12.8 trillion if the City Council grants its approval.

City Secretary Ritola Tasmaya said on Tuesday that the additional budget would be used to complete a number of infrastructure projects including underpasses, school construction, land acquisition and busway corridor construction.

Last December, the council approved a Rp 12.3 trillion city budget for this year. This is more than last year's Rp 11.65 trillion.

"We hope the council will approve the additional budget proposed so that the projects can proceed," he said.

Ritola said the administration proposed Rp 68 billion in additional budget for underpass projects in Senen, Central Jakarta; Tomang, West Jakarta, and Cawang, East Jakarta.

The administration proposed Rp 60 billion for developing two busway corridors from Pulogadung, East Jakarta, to the National Monument (Monas), Central Jakarta, and from Monas to Kalideres, West Jakarta.

Other projects to be funded by the additional budget include school construction, worth Rp 93 billion, and land acquisition for the East Flood Canal, worth Rp 100 billion.

Ritola said financial sources for the additional budget proposed would be raised from an expected increase in tax revenue from various sectors. He said the administration had estimated it would receive additional tax revenue of Rp 600 billion by year- end.

He added that another financial source was the city reserve fund as the administration had proposed to utilize Rp 240 billion of its Rp 800 billion reserve fund.

Council deputy chairman Ibnu Sumantri said councillors would complete deliberations on the proposal before their tenure ended on Aug. 25.

He promised that all deliberations would be held as open meetings.

The council and the administration have been criticized for their non-transparent budget deliberations, through the holding of closed-door meetings.