Draft city budget to be examined before endorsement
Draft city budget to be examined before endorsement
JAKARTA (JP): A councillor promised on Sunday to look into the
2001 draft city budget to prevent the city administration from
squandering money on unnecessary programs.
Councillor Amarullah Asbah from the Golkar Party said each of
the council's five commissions would be involved in the effort,
which is also aimed at minimizing corruption.
"(If necessary,) we'll even recommend making some cuts to the
expenditures," Amarullah told The Jakarta Post.
"We want to make sure the city administration will not waste
the city budget and concentrate more on feasible and useful
programs for the general public," he added.
The five commissions at City Council are in charge of
administration and security, economy, city revenue, development
and social welfare.
Many have questioned the draft budget, which is said to be
wasteful and does not take the crisis into consideration.
Items under scrutiny on the draft budget include the Rp 7.55
billion (US$794,500) allocated for the governor to finance his
official residence, cars, clothes and overseas trips.
Another allocation drawing concern is the Rp 30 billion for
the sociopolitical directorate, which is due to be dissolved next
year. The office received Rp 6 billion under the current April-
December budget.
Amarullah said councillors in each of the commissions would
further question items related to their authority.
"Commission C, for example, will question some of the
nonphysical expenditures, such as training for farming and
husbandry in the capital.
"In the draft, the city has allocated some Rp 500 million for
each mayoralty to finance these activities," he added.
"What kind of farming and husbandry can people do in the
capital (after receiving the training)?"
Jakarta has five mayoralties.
Amarullah said the commissions would underline effectiveness
and efficiency in the city's spending, although the capital is
looking for more revenue due to the implementation of regional
autonomy in January 2001.
"I have even heard that one of the commissions -- I forgot
which one -- will question the expenditures of the city
spokesman's office because they are too large," Amarullah said,
adding that the office would receive Rp 2 billion in next year's
annual budget.
He said the commissions would have a joint meeting to further
discuss the budget on Thursday and Friday before the 2001 city
budget is endorsed on Dec. 20.
Amarullah said he firmly hoped that councillors would make
significant corrections to the use of the money. (dja)