NGOs file suit against city

JAKARTA (JP): Nine non-governmental organizations grouped under the NGO Coalition for City Budget Transparency (KOTA) filled a lawsuit against the city administration and the City Council on Tuesday.

In the suit, filed at the Central Jakarta District Court, KOTA demanded Rp 11 billion (US$1.1 million) in compensation for the increase in taxes in the 2001 city budget.

"If the lawsuit is approved by the court, we will use the money to develop public facilities," Zoemrotin of the International NGOs Forum on Indonesian Development (INFID) said.

Other NGOs filing the suit include the Urban Poor Consortium, the Indonesian Consumer Institute Foundation, the Indonesian Women's Coalition and Indonesian Corruption Watch.

KOTA earlier urged the City Council to review the Rp 7.4 trillion budget, which the group said failed to take into account the interests and needs of the people.

More than 60 percent of the budget is for routine expenditures, with only a small portion of the budget allocated for the poor and the development of public facilities.

The NGOs earlier put up hundreds of banners across the city calling on the public not to pay taxes in protest of the budget.

More than 60 percent of the city's income is derived from taxes. (jun)