Councilors ask for more work on city budget

JAKARTA (JP): City councilors suggested on Wednesday the Jakarta administration further refine the proposed 2000 City Budget while also asking for a detailed explanation of several parts of the Rp 3.295 trillion (US$438.6 million) draft budget.

In a hearing with the city administration's top officials, the councilors reviewed the effectiveness of the administration in raising larger revenue to finance the city budget, particularly due to the possible enactment of laws on regional autonomy next year.

They also insisted that the city administration, among others things, immediately urge the central government to revoke Law No. 18/1997 on Regional Taxes and Levies.

According to the councilors, the law prohibits the administration from increasing its revenue to fund its own budget.

"City councilors and officials must work together to revoke this law because it has played a significant role in shrinking the city's revenue," Mukhayar RM of the Justice Party (PK) faction said in a written statement.

He received support from fellow councilors, including Totok Ismunandar from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan).

Last Friday Governor Sutiyoso delivered a proposal of the 2000 City Budget, effective from April 1 to Dec. 31, to the city councilors.

Sutiyoso did not appear at the hearing on Wednesday, instead represented by Deputy Governor for Economic and Financial Affairs Fauzie Alvi Yassin.

Councillor Posman Siahaan of the Justice and Unity Party (PKP) suggested another approach to increasing revenue.

"It's more important to provide a good and professional service to residents and at the same time city officials have to prevent financial leakage," he suggested.

The Indonesian Military (TNI)/National Police faction called on the administration to make significant efforts to be more thrifty, such as by halting spending to finance the maintenance costs for official cars used by city officials.

M. Soekiyadhi of the faction even proposed the administration stop providing official cars to its staff.

"The city administration could actually provide a private car ownership loan for the officials instead," said

Many of the councilors urged the administration to focus more on businesses.

They suggested, for example, the privatization of the City Parking Agency which would help the administration to earn more revenue.

"We'll propose later that the city administration collect a 25 percent share from the total revenues earned by the privately- owned parking companies," said Anna Rudhiantiana of the Golkar Party.

Totok of PDI Perjuangan also questioned the reasoning of Sutiyoso's administration in putting the parking revenue target during the nine-month period at Rp 16 billion, in which Rp 14 billion of the total would be allocated for operational costs.

"What kind of trick is this?"

Totok, therefore, wanted the administration to reveal details of the proposed operational costs in the city's parking sectors.

According to Muchayar, the administration could also merge city-owned companies in related sectors in an attempt to simplify the control over the use of the money.

Councillor Chudlary Syafi'i Hadzami of the United Development Party (PPP) faction recommended the administration drop its plan to allocate over Rp 19.77 billion to the City Tourism Agency since the agency was not effective in attracting tourists.

"It's better to allocate that large amount of money to the City Investment Coordinating Board (BKPMD), which could hold promotional activities abroad to lure foreign investors," he said.

The councilors also questioned the administration's reason for allocating a small amount of money to important sectors.

Halim Asyhari of the National Mandate Party (PAN) said the proposed spending for education in the capital at some Rp 67.5 billion during the period was extremely inadequate.

"It's important for schools to be sufficiently equipped with, for example, laboratories and other standard equipment," he said.

Saman Husni of the Crescent Star Party (PBB) faction said the maintenance budget for offices, schools and health centers at about Rp 150 billion was also obviously too small.

"The amount may seem quite big but there are a lot of schools and health centers to be renovated, especially those which are inundated every year," he said.

Most councilors also asked the city administration to reveal in detail all projects described in the proposal.

Governor Sutiyoso is slated to deliver his response on the councilors' remarks on the draft budget next Monday in a similar hearing at the council. (09/nvn)