Governor may freeze extra budget

Governor may freeze extra budget

PALANGKARAYA, Central Kalimantan: Central Kalimantan Governor
Asmawi Agani threatened to freeze the province's additional
budget allocation worth Rp 20 billion if it would create
opportunities for corruption among local officials.

"The government will freeze the additional budget because all
projects financed by the additional budget are prone to
corruption as they are not being put out to open tender," he said
at a hearing with the provincial legislative council here on
Saturday.

He said that despite the fact that there were only two months
remaining in the 2001 fiscal year, all projects must be offered
through a public tender and local officials, both in the
executive and the legislature, would be prohibited from
participating in the bidding.

"I will take firm measures against local officials who are
found to be involved in government projects," he said. --Antara