Sorry, no tea, just water at City Hall

Sorry, no tea, just water at City Hall

JAKARTA (JP): Staff and visitors to City Hall should no longer
expect to be served tea and snacks. They are likely to get plain
water, if anything at all.

Such office amenities have been removed, along with a host of
others as the municipality begins to implement belt-tightening
measures.

"We have to be thrifty," Deputy Governor for Economic and
Financial Affairs Harun Al Rasyid said yesterday.

"If we had snacks and tea in the past, now plain water should
do it," Fauzi said. "The most important thing is to survive the
crisis."

Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso announced the huge cuts in the
administration's spending when he unveiled the city's budget last
month.

Fauzi said the cuts mean every rupiah would be used for
priority spending. Those with low priority will be postponed.

The administration for example is putting on hold its plan to
purchase new staff cars, and is removing access to long-distance
telephone lines accorded to senior officials, he said.

Also gone is spending on building equipment.

"We simply can't afford it at the moment."

And there will be no pay increase this year, in line with the
central government's policy.

Fauzi assured his staff that there would not be any pay cuts.

A number of municipality projects have been shelved, he said,
citing the construction of the new South Jakarta mayoralty office
as an example.

Harun Al Rasyid said all city projects costing between Rp 20
billion and Rp 40 billion have been delayed.

"We have no choice but to tighten up on the use of our budget.
We will concentrate on projects vital for the welfare of the
public," he said. (edt)