Lampung activist demands revision of budget proposal

Oyos Saroso, Bandarlampung

Activists have demanded that the local provincial council review the Lampung governor's proposed additional budget spending (ABT), as it provided opportunities for irregularities.

Furthermore, the ABT, already given the green light by the Lampung Council's budget committee, shows that the local government has no sense of crisis, said activists of the Care for Transparency and Regional Autonomy Network (JMPTOD).

"One item that has to be revised is the purchase of a firearm at Rp 150 million (US$15,879)," said Aryanto from the network.

He argued that the purchase of a firearm for the governor was exorbitant and prone to a markup.

"I can't imagine that a gun costs Rp 150 million. It's a waste of money," he said, while questioning the necessity of the purchase. "Lampung is relatively peaceful, so the purchase of a gun is questionable. It is likely this is merely an attempt to show off."

As the purchase of the gun will not benefit the administration or the people of Lampung, Aryanto demanded that the budget committee scrap the firearm purchase from the ABT.

The document also contained a proposal to purchase another firearm, also Rp 150 million, for the deputy governor.

At a meeting last Thursday, the governor proposed the ABT, which included a Rp 900 million (US$97,800) item for "governor's security". Of this amount, Rp 600 million is allocated for firearms for security guards, while the rest covers the firearms purchases for the governor and the deputy governor.

In response, councillor Muzakir Noor said he would convey the demand at an upcoming plenary meeting, but underlined the decision would be up to the Lampung Council.

Meanwhile, councillor Fauzi Saleh from the Golkar Party said that, as the top official of Lampung, the governor deserved to have a gun. Fauzi, who also sits on the budget committee, also said Rp 150 million for the gun was not exorbitant, as it was inclusive of the gun license fee.

The furor over the ABT started a few weeks ago, when Governor Sjachroedin ZP filed the Rp 39 billion (US$4.23 million) proposed additional budget spending to the council.

The extra spending comes on top of the 2004 provincial budget of Rp 767.75 billion, and was approved earlier this year by the Lampung Council and administration.

Of the proposed additional expenditures, 70 percent is to be spent on government procurement and construction projects, and luxury car purchases.

The cars include a Rp 750 million Toyota Crown for the Lampung governor, and two Toyota Camrys at Rp 475 million each -- one for the Lampung Council speaker and another for the secretary of the Lampung administration.