President's two visits burden Batam administration: Official
President's two visits burden Batam administration: Official
Fadli, The Jakarta Post, Batam
Batam City Council staff may not be paid for two months work
because the Batam municipal administration claims it spent Rp
11.5 billion (US$1.4 million) to cover expenses partly for two
presidential visits to Batam.
The administration's total annual budget is Rp 358 billion
($45 million).
Batam municipality development department head Samsul Bahrum
said it sourced the money from its annual budget (APBD) to cover
the costs of Megawati's and her entourage's accommodation and
transportation expenses during the visits.
He declined to say how much money was spent on accommodation
and transportation of the President's entourage.
But local officials, who refused to be named, said the two
presidential visits cost more than Rp 4 billion.
Samsul said some of the Rp 11.5 billion was used to fund other
national events, including the Indonesia Open 2003, an exhibition
by the Association of the Indonesian City Administrations
(Apeksi) and the Green City program.
Samsul claimed the money had originally been earmarked for two
months pay for the municipality's civil servants.
"As the Rp 11.5 already ran out, we have to seek immediately a
substitute," he told reporters.
Samsul said the Batam municipality would immediately propose
to the Batam Legislative Council and the central government that
it be allowed to source substitute funds to cover the shortfalls
in the annual budget.
Megawati visited Nongsa in Batam to open the State
Intelligence School last July. It was followed by another visit
in August to inaugurate a project by state gas company PT
Perusahaan Gas Negara (PT PGN) in Panaran, Batam.
"Actually, we don't allocate funds in our annual budget for
these kinds of activities, but it is not appropriate if we avoid
paying the expenses of official guests. Should the President
come, at least we have to cover the accommodation and
transportation expenses for her and her entourage," he said.
Meanwhile, Batam legislative council budget committee
secretary Asmin Patros said it had the final say over whether it
would agree the proposal.
Separately, Batam Youth Front chairman Yudi Kurnain said the
municipality should not be responsible for the spending of the
president during her visits.
"The State Secretariat should finance her visits, and not the
regional governments," he said.