State budget 101

State budget 101

From Republika

The good intention of the government, in this case President Megawati Soekarnoputri, to provide aid for the repair of Indonesian Military/National Police barracks has prompted legislator Djamal Doa, a member of the United Development Party (PPP) faction in the House of Representatives, to question the aid by initiating an interpellation on the source of the Rp 30 billion in extra-budgetary funds. Twenty-two legislators have signed up in support of the proposed interpellation, though State Secretary Bambang Kesowo said in New Delhi, India, on April 1 that the funds came from presidential aid left over from the New Order government.

According to him, the President realizes that the funds should be transferred to the finance minister (i.e. the state treasury). In this context, the state secretary should promptly transfer the money pursuant to the budget procedures, which follow the gross principle with no combination or compensation between expenditure and income, as a consequence of the House's budgetary right requiring the inclusion of all spending in the budget so that no government activity is beyond legislative control.

Furthermore, the Army chief of staff is prepared to return (to the state secretary) the presidential aid, whose origin is unknown. As a substitute, the state secretary can propose an auxiliary budget in the current fiscal year to the House (based on article 6 of the treasury law) or make a budget adjustment (article 5 of the law) through the use of the contingency spending item, to be submitted to the finance minister for approval.

In this way, President Megawati's aid could be expected to not become the so-called "Asramagate" (Barrack-gate) akin to the protracted State Logistics Agency (Bulog) scandal.

HM SUKRANI SUKARI

Jakarta