City wants Rp 400b more for 2002 budget
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.