More funding urged for social safety net

JAKARTA (JP): City councilors urged the central government on Monday to increase fund allocations for the capital's social safety net program to allow it to reach more of the jobless and needy students.

Lukman F. Mokoginta from Commission D for development affairs and Nitra Arsyad from Commission E for social welfare said the Rp 77.2 billion (US$9.65 million) allocated by the administration to finance labor intensive projects was too small.

Current labor intensive projects manage to absorb only 70,000 jobless in the city, a fraction of the estimated 825,900 unemployed, they said.

The councilors made the remarks at a plenary session when Governor Sutiyoso unveiled the realization of the first six months of the 1998/1999 city budget.

The fund for labor intensive projects was taken from the Rp 260 billion set aside from the budget for the safety net program.

Another Rp 17 billion was used for the construction of Penggilingan flyover in East Jakarta, Rp 86.4 billion for the flood prevention program and Rp 80 billion to be granted as scholarships to 54,657 students, said Sutiyoso.

Regarding the overall adjustment, Sutiyoso said the city budget had been cut to Rp 1.75 trillion from Rp 2.79 trillion formerly.

Lukman said it was feared the rising number of jobless could be a potential trigger factor in generating social unrest.

"This is a capital which is regarded as the barometer for national stability. Anything that occurs here can spread to other provinces in Indonesia," he said.

Nitra said the number of students forced to drop out of school due to a lack of funds could well be higher than those registered to receive aid through the safety net program.

"The government would face a delay in completing its campaign on the basic education program," said Nitra, referring to the government's compulsory nine-year basic education campaign for school-age children.

Data at the city office of the Ministry of Education and Culture shows that about 9,000 out of one million students of state and private elementary to senior high schools had been forced to drop out due to the monetary crisis as of October.

Although the councilors failed to explain how the central government should increase funds for the safety net program, they insisted the city authorities could do their best to utilize the allocated funds.

"The only thing we could do is to empower the city officials to avoid the misuse and mishandling of the funds," Nitra said. (ivy)