Councillors dreams of sedans dashed?
Councillors dreams of sedans dashed?
JAKARTA (JP): Councillors waiting for cars paid for by the
city budget may end up with zilch as the administration has
suddenly expressed a desire to review the plan following a strong
reaction from the public.
Assistant to city administrative affairs secretary Makmun Amin
said on Wednesday that the final decision over the controversial
plan to provide "official cars" to councillors would be made
sometime next week.
The decision, which could be disappointing for those gleefully
anticipating the vehicles, would be taken based on the latest
developments concerning the issue, including the pros and cons,
he added.
"We just have to wait until next week as some of the
councillors may refuse to accept the cars even though the plan
was initially conceived jointly by the city administration and
the councillors," Makmun told journalists.
According to him, the city administration needs to review the
plan, which had already been agreed, in order to anticipate
possible rejection by some councillors opposed to the plan, which
could later lead to other councillors acting likewise.
According to the initial plan, the cars for the councillors --
said to be Hyundai Accent sedans -- were to cost some Rp 5.5
billion (US$625,000) and were to be funded by a forecast surplus
in the current (April-December) 2000 city budget.
"Actually, the city administration is slated to purchase the
Hyndai Accent sedans soon as the plan has to be realized in
December," Makmun said.
Councillors have come under fire for the various facilities
they have received or are to receive from the city
administration, including bonuses, subsidies for the purchase of
land, and the South Korean-made cars.
When the 2000 budget came into effect in April, the
councillors were given some Rp 75 million by the administration
to purchase private cars.
Makmun contended that the initial decision to provide official
cars for the councillors was taken in accordance with proper
procedures and was fully debated.
Furthermore, he said, it was a joint decision of the
councillors and the city administration.
"So, it is wrong for people to say that this was simply the
result of the councillors' demands and that the city
administration was forced to comply.
It's a mutual agreement between the two bodies," he said.
Makmun did not disclose whether former councillors, who had
previously been assigned official cars, had already returned them
to the council.
However, it is common knowledge that no former councillor has
ever returned a car which supposedly belongs to the state.
Makmun said that although the city administration has the
authority to arrange the budget, every decision should firstly go
through thorough deliberation in the city council.
Separately on Wednesday, City Council Deputy Speaker Tarmidi
Suhardjo said he personally expected that all of his 84
colleagues would reject the official cars on the grounds that it
is more important to stand up for the people's interests.
"I have rejected the plan that was submitted to me as deputy
speaker and I really hope that some (of my colleagues) will
follow my lead," the councillor from the Indonesian Democratic
Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) said.
However, he did not dispute the fact that he had accepted the
administration's bonus and car subsidy from Governor Sutiyoso.
(dja)