Revision of routine expenditure urged

JAKARTA (JP): A councilor urged the city administration on Friday to revise the routine expenditure for road maintenance in the 1999/2000 draft budget.

Ali Wongso, head of Commission D for development affairs, said at least Rp 35 billion was needed for the routine repair and maintenance of the city's roads.

The allocation of Rp 5.11 billion for the repair and maintenance of roads was far from enough, he said.

It was reported that about 600,000 square meters of the city's 20.56 million square meters of roads were in disrepair.

Road repairs, according to Soeharto, head of the city public works office, were projected to cost about Rp 27 billion.

Soeharto said roads were often damaged because of the large volume of traffic, heavy rain and flooding.

Ali said the Rp 35 billion also would include the maintenance of concrete roads, which he said were expensive.

He added that the city had 20 roads in need of heavy repairs and maintenance.

"Commission D concludes that money for the maintenance of roads could be easily arranged if the city's routine expenditure of Rp 38.5 billion for streetlight maintenance was reduced."

Ali stated that the amount of money allocated for maintaining streetlights was "irrational".

"Representatives from the streetlight office stated they needed the money to pay the electricity bills to state-owned electricity company PLN...," he said.

"The fact is, most of our streetlights are damaged. So, why so much money?"

He said once the routine expenditure for streetlights was reduced, the city's expenditure for road development, some Rp 54.44 million, could be concentrated on the rehabilitation and maintenance of flyovers.

"The city does not have to use that money for the repair of damaged roads," he said.

Speaking about the repair of road signs and traffic lights, which were allocated some Rp 15.6 billion, Ali said that police data revealed 15 roads needed the immediate repair of their road signs and traffic lights.

Quoting the data, Ali said the roads included Jl. Dewi Sartika and the Pulo Gadung intersection in East Jakarta, Jl. Hayam Wuruk in West Jakarta and Jl. Achmad Yani and Jl. Yos Sudarso in North Jakarta. (ylt)