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.