Council OKs 2000 fiscal year budget

Council OKs 2000 fiscal year budget

JAKARTA (JP): The City Council agreed on Friday to pass a 2000
City Budget of more than Rp 3.389 trillion (US$ 451.86 million),
which will consist of Rp 2.362 trillion for routine spending and
Rp 1.026 trillion for development spending.

The endorsed budget is higher than the city administration-
proposed budget of Rp 3.29 trillion. It's lower than the
1999/2000 City Budget, but is proportionately higher since the
new budget will only cover a nine-month period, compared to the
12 months of the previous one.

The budget also contains a new feature, the city's reserve
fund of Rp 400 billion.

Employee expenditures, for example, will be raised from Rp 862
billion to Rp 863 billion. The previous budget allocated more
than Rp 952 billion for the post.

Maintenance spending, however, will be lowered from Rp 470
billion to Rp 463 billion. The spending was allocated at around
Rp 360 billion in the previous budget.

Education and culture sectors will receive Rp 133 billion from
the proposed Rp 121 billion, while last year it received Rp 106
billion.

There has been nothing allocated to the mining and energy
sectors.

The transportation sector will also receive a substantial
increase, from Rp 111 billion to Rp 130 billion. It received Rp
106 billion last year.

Although they agreed to pass the budget, all factions of the
council expressed their dissatisfaction with it at the plenary
meeting that officially passed the budget on Friday.

Councillor Abdul Aziz Matnur of the Justice Party (PK) said
that the city administration should provide better service to
residents who have contributed 34 percent to the budget in taxes.

"The city administration can consider the revocation of
personal retributions -- such as birth certificates and identity
cards -- as signs of service improvement," he said.

Councillor Nazamuddin of the National Mandate Party (PAN)
suggested that the city administration avoid duplicating its
construction and maintenance projects.

"How could the City Forestry Agency and the City Park Agency
propose tree planting projects at the same place in Situ Babakan,
South Jakarta?" he asked.

Councillor Posman Siahaan of the Justice and Unity Party (PKP)
noted that the City Civil Defense Headquarters was unaware of the
fact that it had been allocated a certain amount of money from
the budget.

"How could the agency be unaware of the fact that it has been
allocated funds from the budget?" he asked, encouraging the city
administration to prevent such a thing from happening again in
the future.

He also suggested the city administration should legalize
gambling to bring in more revenue.

"It will provide income for the city administration by
imposing high gambling taxes on gambling operators. The funds can
then be used for other projects," he said.

Councillor M. Saman Husni of the Crescent Star Party (PBB)
faction gave another solution to increase the city revenue, by
intensified and extensified taxes and retributions collection.

"There are a lot of residents who don't pay their taxes and
retributions. City officials have to catch and penalize these
people" he said at the plenary meeting.

Councillors also urged the city administration to increase the
proportion of development spending and not routine spending.

"Routine spending only benefits city employees while
development spending will give direct benefits to residents,"
said Zayadi Musa of the United Development Party (PPP) faction.
(09/nvn)