Observer says city budget needs revision
Observer says city budget needs revision
JAKARTA (JP): The draft city budget for 2001 needs major
revision in order to meet people's demand for accountability and
social justice, an observer said on Thursday.
Ichsanudin Noorsyi of the Institute of Public Policy Studies
(LSKP) told a regular session of City Council that the draft
budget was susceptible to double counting.
The starkest example, according to Ichsanudin, is the
allocation of funds for regreening projects in five public
cemeteries, while at the same time the city administration
earmarks funds for reforestation in the city's five mayoralties.
"How can the city administration explain this," Ichsanudin
said.
Governor Sutiyoso proposed the city's first calendar-year
budget of Rp 7.49 trillion (US$784.90 million) earlier this
month.
The current April-December budget of Rp 4.18 trillion is a
transitional one compared to previous fiscal years running from
April 1 to March 31.
Some Rp 5.02 trillion of the draft city budget is allocated
for routine expenditures and the rest for development projects.
The City Council will decide whether to endorse the proposal
on Wednesday.
Ichsanudin also criticized the draft budget for lacking a
sense of social justice.
He pointed out the provision of Rp 6.92 billion (US$725,138)
to eradicate poverty in the city, about Rp 600 million less than
the funds to be used to finance the governor's clothes and
overseas expenses and maintenance of his residence and cars.
"It seems that fulfilling the governor's needs are more
important than those of the poor. No wonder violence explodes so
easily in the city," said Ichsanudin, who is a former legislator
in the House of Representatives.
He asserted the city has a myriad of problems to tackle, in
particular increasing unemployment, poor education and health
standards and public services and controversy over nightspots.
Ichsanudin suggested that the city administration make
improvement of health and education the top priority and raise
the quality of public services if it wants to keep up with its
sister cities.
"So it's not the right time to talk about the subway project.
Moreover, the local government is actually unable to understand
the concept of mass transportation," he said. (04)