Rp 50 billion funding for poor 'vulnerable to corruption'

Rp 50 billion funding for poor 'vulnerable to corruption'

JAKARTA (JP): The city administration's plan to grant Rp 50
billion (US$4.5 million) to 25 poor subdistricts could be easily
misappropriated because of a lack of clarity in its program and
insufficient control, an activist and residents said on Monday.

Interviewed separately by The Jakarta Post, the Urban Poor
Consortium (UPC) coordinator Wardah Hafidz and residents of two
community units (RW) of Menteng subdistricts, Central Jakarta,
said they doubted the whole fund would safely reach the target.

"It's very easy for the funds to be embezzled by subdistrict
chiefs and community unit' chiefs," Wardah remarked.

She predicted that the chiefs would misuse the funds by
creating unclear programs since the city administration allowed
the subdistricts to decide the programs themselves.

She said some non-governmental organizations (NGOs) which
would be assigned to monitor the implementation of the program,
had no credibility or ability to do so.

"They are 'red-plated' NGOs," said Wardah, referring to the
term used for progovernment NGOs.

"They would probably only take advantage of the program,"
Wardah, whose UPC is a member of NGOs Coalition for Budget
Transparency (KOTA), added.

Asked about the involvement of KOTA member, the Indonesian
Forum for Budget Transparency (Fitra), Wardah said Fitra should
quit the monitoring program or leave KOTA.

"We have asked Fitra to chose whether to be involved in the
scheme or stay with us," she said.

The city administration earlier announced that it would
disburse Rp 2 billion for each of the 25 subdistricts in the
program called the Subdistrict Community Empowerment Program.

It plans to involve several NGOs, including Fitra, which is
led by sociologist La Ode Ida, in monitoring the program.

Wardah believed that the administration was attempting to
shift public attention from the confusion over the city budget
spending to the program for the poor.

"Sutiyoso tried to bribe the poor by giving them the fund so
that the public would no longer question the budget," she said.

She said the total of Rp 2 billion allocated for each
subdistrict which is home to thousands of poor residents, was too
small when compared to the Rp 8 billion allocated for City
Governor Sutiyoso's facilities, such as his clothes.

Wardah suggested that the fund should not be disbursed until
the program target and control mechanism were clear in order to
avoid further problems.

"We will continue to question the program since the fund was
taken from the city budget," she said.

Meanwhile, residents urged the city administration to closely
monitor the use of the fund.

Rohana, a drink vendor, on Jl. Menteng Jaya, revealed that the
Menteng subdistrict once received a similar fund from the city
government. She said that in the past two years the fund which
was supposed to be used to build community public facilities was
misused by the RW chief.

"Residents protested and the RW chief was then replaced," she
said.

Rohana lives in RW 08, one of two poor neighboring community
units in Menteng subdistrict.

She hoped the fund that was allocated for her RW could be used
to build public facilities such as toilets and an RW office, and
underlined the need to involve local unemployed youth in the
project.

Another resident, Agus, agreed with Rohana, saying the youths'
involvement in the project would help them to avoid brawling.

"Many of the youths are often involved in brawls because they
don't have any job," Agus, a resident of RW 09, said.

The two poor RW units which are separated by a railway track
consist of 16 neighborhood units each with a population reaching
into the thousands.

Most of the residents live in wooden houses with poor
sanitation. Many of the house were burned when the residents were
involved in a massive brawl two years ago.

Some of the residents work as night guards in entertainment
centers in downtown Kota, West Jakarta, while others work as
small-scale traders.

Rohana said many people might associate the Menteng area with
luxurious houses, such as the one belonging to former President
Soeharto on Jl. Cendana, which is still in the same subdistrict.

"Yeah, people probably think that all Menteng residents are
rich people. The majority of us are poor people," she laughed
bitterly. (jun)