Council may approve city budget amendment proposal

JAKARTA (JP): The City Council is considering approving Governor Sutiyoso's proposal to amend the April-December 2000 city budget to include the Rp 669.7 billion (US$77 million) surplus from the previous budget.

In a plenary session on Wednesday, all five commissions in the council stated the surplus and -- as a result -- the planned hike in city spending "was understandable", but stressed that the city administration should consider the short amount of time left in the current budget.

"Commission D endorsed the amendment of the 2000 city budget, and considers the proposal suitable to be declared a city bylaw," Saud Rahman, deputy chairman of the commission on development affairs, said in delivering his commission's opinion of the governor's proposal.

"However, we stressed that the city administration should consider the limited amount of time available for it to spend the surplus, as the 2000 budget will end in three months," said Saud, from the United Development Party (PPP).

Sugiarso, a member of Commission C on financial affairs, urged the city administration to make effective use of the available budget and continue to follow legal procedures in financial matters.

"In term of goods procurement, fair and open bids should be conducted to avoid any collusion," said the councillor from the Indonesian Military/National Police faction.

Governor Sutiyoso delivered his proposal last Thursday, saying the estimated surplus would boost the city's overall revenue target 19.76 percent, from the Rp 3.38 trillion which was endorsed recently by the council to Rp 4.05 trillion.

The estimated hike in city revenue mainly was attributed to the surplus from the previous budget and increased vehicle tax revenue. Greater efficiency in all sectors, including cuts to the administration's routine and development spending, also was cited.

Another factor which will boost city revenue in the current budget is an additional Rp 45.07 billion subsidy from the central government which comes on top of a Rp 1.40 trillion subsidy.

Along with the revenue hike, Sutiyoso also proposed the city increase spending 25.80 percent to Rp 609.525 billion.

In the governor's proposal, the majority of this increase would be used for the development of public facilities, including improving the city's bus terminals and road construction.

According to councillors from Commission E on social welfare, the increase in city spending should focus on programs to help the general public and cut the administration routine's spending.

"It is important to finance programs that really touch the people, so that in the governor's next accountability speech there will be no more disappointment from the people," Edy Suchro Abd Djalal of the National Mandate Party (PAN) said.

Commission B on economic affairs also said it was vital the administration cut routine spending, which it views as no longer being a necessity.

"Also of importance is that the city administration create stability and security to maintain positive economic growth in the capital," said the commission's Dani Anwar from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan).

The administration was told by members of Commission A on government affairs to improve security in the capital by using the budget to hire additional staff at the public order office.

"The city should have a minimum of 2,775 public order officials and the budget for them should be increased from around Rp 2 billion to Rp 10 billion," Syarifien Maloko of the Crescent Star Party (PBB) said.

"The additional money is required to improve security in the capital, especially after the series of bomb blasts and threats," he said.(dja)