NTT budget ignites strong protests from local activist

Yemris Fointuna and R.K. Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Kupang/Jayapura

A score of activists conferred Wednesday 55 coffins to the 55- member of the East Nusa Tenggara provincial legislative council in their protest of the legislature's 2002 budget totaling Rp 12 billion.

The protesters grouped in the Network Caring for People's Money (Jalur) also threatened to call on the local people to pay taxes and other obligations to the local administration unless the budget was revised within 24 fours.

They said they were disappointed with the legislature for having no a sense of crisis neither solidarity for a majority of local people who have been living in a poor condition due to the prolonged economic crisis.

"We will launch a massive campaign to call on local people not pay taxes to the government unless the budget is revised within 24 fours (on Wednesday)," Yolanda who coordinated the demonstration,said after the protesters put the empty coffins at the legislature building.

The province's 2002 budget endorsed on Monday allocates 35 percent, or Rp 12 billion, of the province's total revenue of Rp 42 billion in the fiscal year. The remaining Rp 30 billion is allocated for the government's routine spending and development projects.

The legislature's budget was raised by around 33 percent from the previous Rp 9.3 billion.

Controversial points in the legislature's spending that have sparked sharp criticism from the activists were the Rp 1.32 billion representation allowance, Rp 825 million package funds, Rp 500 million health care, Rp 100 million uniforms, Rp 2.9 billion official tour and Rp 4 billion operation costs, including legislators' basic salary.

With all the allowances, the legislators receive each a total of Rp 19 million per month or Rp 219 million per year.

According to Yolanda, the legislature's budget was too bombastic and did not reflect the people's poor condition.

"The legislature which is said represent the local people is unfair and has no solidarity with the people if they are paid high while a major part of the people are living a poor condition," he said, citing the annual per capita income in the province was Rp 510,500.

Data at the local office of the Logistics Agency (Bulog), 80 percent, or 550,146 families, of the four million population in the province have lived in the poor condition because of the continued economic crisis.

Deputy Chairman of the legislative council Paul Detag, who received the protesters, said the deliberation of the legislature' budget was conducted in line with the official procedure and the law.

"There is no manipulation in the budget and it was deliberated with the provincial administration in accordance with the official procedure and the law on regional autonomy," he said.

Of the province's budget totaling Rp 177 billion, Rp 135.2 billion came from the state budget in the form of general allocation funds (DAU) to pay civil servants' salaries.

Johanis Kosapilawan, spokesman for the provincial administration, admitted that the executive was not involved during the deliberation of the legislature's draft budget for unclear reasons.

"The provincial administration's team was asked to leave the legislature when its budget commission deliberated the legislature's draft budget," he said.

Meanwhile in Jayapura, the Indonesian democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction at the provincial legislative council turned down the province's draft budget because of the unclear implementation of the special autonomy in the restive province.

Komaruddin, chairman of the PDI Perjuangan faction, said the government was inconsistent since the draft budget was based on the special autonomy while its implementation has yet to be launched officially.

"Our faction needs not only money but, mainly, the government's enforcement of the special autonomy law in the province," he said.

He said that so far, none of the law has been implemented and necessary regulations to enforce the law have yet to be issued.

Other factions have yet to issue their response to the draft budget totaling Rp 1.9 trillion, Rp 1.6 trillion of which was proposed from the special autonomy.