City wants Rp 400b more for 2002 budget

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

City councillors questioned on Thursday the proposal by the city administration to increase its 2002 budget from Rp 9.3 trillion to Rp 9.7 trillion, including a Rp 10 billion hike in spending for administration employees.

According to the revised budget, the money for employees' salaries would increase from Rp 2.642 trillion in the current budget to Rp 2.652 trillion.

"Why is there an increase of Rp 10 billion since there have been no increases in their salaries and the number of employees is the same?" councillor Azis Matnur of the Justice Party asked.

The city administration has 150,000 employees, but there have been numerous questions about the quality of their work, with critics pointing to the less-than reliable public service offered by the administration.

Aziz also questioned the plan to erect a Rp 125-million fences on the ninth floor of the 24-floor administrative building.

Councillor Syamsidar Siregar also criticized the proposal to repair the roof and windows of the City Health Office for Rp 1.27 billion.

"Why do they need to repair their windows now?" Syamsidar of the National Mandate Party said during the council's plenary session on Thursday.

In the revised budget, which was proposed two weeks ago, the cost for the gubernatorial election has been increased from Rp 14 billion to Rp 17 billion. As many as Rp 80 million was allocated for the announcement of the pairs of gubernatorial candidates in newspapers, although this never took place.

Some Rp 40 million was allocated for (print) journalists who covered the election and Rp 60 million for television stations.

The budget also calls for plans to spend Rp 450 million to repair fences that were damaged by people protesting the gubernatorial election on Sept. 11.

The council's secretary, Moerdiman, said work on the fences had been planned even before the demonstration.

"Reinstalling the old fence the day after the election only costs one or two million rupiah. Now we will install new fences," Moerdiman said.