President to present draft state budget in September

JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives (DPR) accepted on Wednesday President Megawati Soekarnoputri's proposal to delay until next month the presentation of the draft state budget.

In the past, when the fiscal year was set from April to April, the draft state budget was presented when the president delivered the state-of-the-nation address at the House on Aug. 16 as part of the Independence Day celebrations. Last year, the fiscal year was changed from January to December and the draft budget was delivered to the House in October.

Megawati, through her spokesman Bambang Kesowo, confirmed on Wednesday that she would deliver her state-of-the-nation address at the House on Aug. 16.

Bambang said it would not be possible to prepare a draft state budget in three days because the new Cabinet, which would be sworn in on Friday, Aug 10, 2001, would only start working the following Monday.

House Speaker Akbar Tandjung said on Wednesday that the House could understand Megawati's reason for the delay in presenting the draft state budget as the Cabinet would only be announced on Thursday.

"This is understandable," Akbar told a media conference after the meeting.

The legislators have given the President until Sept. 7 to present the draft state budget to the House, Akbar said. Akbar added that the debate to finalize the budget should begin on Sept. 10.

"There will not be enough time for the economics ministers to draft the 2002 state budget by Aug 16. But the Independence Day speech by the President should go as scheduled on Aug. 16 before the House's plenary session," he said.

Wednesday's meeting was attended by senior House leaders, such as House Deputy Speaker Tosari Widjaja of the United Development Party (PPP), Soetardjo Soerjogoeritno of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and A.M. Fatwa of the National Mandate Party (PAN).

Muhaimin Iskandar, the House Deputy Speaker of the National Awakening Party (PKB), which suspended its factions at the House in protest of former president Abdurrahman Wahid's impeachment by the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), was absent

Earlier on Wednesday, Bambang Kesowo said the government would present the draft state budget on Sept. 15 at the latest, due to time constraints.

Last year, Megawati, as vice president, read the draft state budget before a House plenary session for Abdurrahman Wahid who is visually impaired. (dja)