Clarity requested for 'public info campaign'

JAKARTA (JP): The City Council would like the municipality to explain the effectiveness of its Rp 4 billion campaign to familiarize the public with city regulations, deputy council speaker Ismunandar said yesterday.

The city's public relations office reportedly questioned the deputy speaker's request, who responded by saying that he was not singling out any one particular office of the municipality for its fund-handling methods.

Councilor Romulus Sihombing of Commission D for development affairs said last week that both the city's legal department and the public relations office are the offices most involved in the campaign.

City Council Speaker M.H. Ritonga earlier conveyed his impression that many Jakartans are still in the dark about city regulations and questioned the allocation of the Rp 4 billion (US$1.7 million).

The city information budget for this fiscal year climbed to Rp 4.131 billion, an increase over last year's Rp 3.61. The budget includes Rp 825 million for a "public information project."

Meanwhile, the legal department has been allocated Rp 1.07 billion to disseminate information about recently passed legislation and current bills.

City public relations officer Soesilo Darmoadji recently sent a letter to several newspapers in response to the recent queries. He said that the funds being used in the campaign are also at the disposal of other offices, including the Ministry of Information's branch in Jakarta.

"We ask for an explanation from the municipality, which could send representatives from the public relations office to explain the use of campaign funds to the council," Ismunandar said.

"We would then suggest that the public relations office coordinate the other offices which it says are also privy to the funds."

Helmy AR Syihab, the head of Commission C for city revenues, said that his commission will formally raise the issue when it meets with municipality executives to discuss the city budget in October. (anr)