DKI budget

DKI budget

From Warta Kota

Basically, the budget of a region explains the working program of the regional administration concerned for a one-year term. By looking at the scheme of the program the community can be made aware of the vision, perception, awareness and sensitivity of the regional functionaries toward the various societal issues that need to be addressed.

In this context, the Jakarta administration has submitted the draft budget for the year 2000 to the regional council. The draft budget, however, has drawn protest from the community, and, to my mind, such protest is justified.

For instance, the 2000 draft budget clearly states that the allocation for traveling expenses for officials and counselors is set at the fantastic amount of Rp 23.138 billion (an increase of 179 percent compared to the amount of the previous year). Whereas supportive funds for compulsory education only get Rp 3 billion. These figures clearly indicate that the future of the nation gets every little attention and is regarded only as a complementary sector in the eyes of the budget programmers.

I wonder how low the level the officials' consciousness is in that they did not hesitate to be extravagant at the cost of the people's suffering. It is no secret that officials have used their traveling expenses not only for official purposes. Often they have been paid to witness international matches abroad, where Indonesian athletes were involved.

The budget also allocates funds for people's welfare amounting to Rp 10.030 billion and for Idul Fitri packages Rp 9.154 billion. I wish the community would be more critical of this budgeting policy. I wonder what is the significance of such huge funds for the people's welfare and the Idul Fitri package. The counselors who represent the interests of the people should be reminded of the need to heed the people's aspirations and basic necessities such as the empowerment of common people's economy, improvement of public facilities, medical care, etc. that are often not mentioned in the priority scale.

PAULUS LONDO

Jakarta