Governor's spending proposals draw flak
Oyos Saroso, Bandarlampung
Activists from non-governmental organizations (NGO)s in Lampung criticized the Lampung provincial government on Wednesday for proposing additional spending on the purchase of 15 luxury cars at a total cost of Rp 4.1 billion (US$ 431,578).
According to activists from the People Care about Transparency and Regional Autonomy Network (JMPTOD), the proposed additional spending showed that the local government had no "sense of crisis".
The controversy started when Lampung Governor Sjachroedin Z.P sent a letter recently to the Lampung provincial council to secure the council's approval for an additional Rp 39 billion (US$41 million) in spending.
The Rp 39 billion comes on top of the 2004 provincial budget which totaled Rp 767.75 billion and was agreed earlier this year by the Lampung provincial council and the administration.
Of the proposed additional Rp 39 billion in spending, 70 percent is to be spent on government procurements and construction projects, as well as the purchase of the luxury cars.
The cars include a Toyota Crown valued at Rp 750 million for the Lampung governor, and two Toyota Camrys worth a total of Rp 950 million -- one each for the speaker of Lampung provincial council and one for the secretary of the Lampung provincial administration.
"The official cars assigned to the speaker of the provincial council and the secretary to the local administration are still in good condition. Why does the administration want to buy new cars?" asked Idhan Januwardhana, an activist with the JMPTOD.
Another JMPTOD activist, Maya Ferlianti, also condemned as a waste of money the proposed uses for the remaining Rp 39 billion in additional funding, especially the proposed renovation of the Lampung governor's official residence at a cost of Rp 850 million.
She said that the renovation project was inappropriate as many people were still living below the poverty line in the province.
Figures from the Lampung Media Center (LMC) show that the number of poor families in Lampung stands at 476,317, or 2,381,585 people out of Lampung's total population of 6.8 million.
Responding to the criticism, Governor Sjachroeddin Z.P said that he was prepared to accept the decision of the Lampung provincial council, whatever it may be.
"This is merely a proposal. We will not push the councillors to accept it," the governor said on Wednesday.
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Proposed Additional Spending ================================================================= No. Name of Project Value ----------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Procurement of cars Rp 4.1 billion 2. Repair of bridges and roads Rp 8 billion 3. Siger monument project
and development of Bakauheni Port Rp 650 million 4. Renovation of
Raden Intan II Airport Rp 950 million 5. Renovation of governor's residence Rp 850 million 6. Renovation of deputy governor's residence Rp 900 million 7. Renovation of gubernatorial offices Rp 400 million 8. Courses to enhance technical
competencies of elementary school
teachers
Rp 52 million 9. Youth entrepreneurship training Rp 65 million 10. Other Rp 19.3 billion -----------------------------------------------------------------
Total: Rp 39 billion ----------------------------------------------------------------- Source: Lampung Provincial Government