Sutiyoso 'should include' NGOs, city councilors in reform team

JAKARTA (JP): A councilor has suggested Governor Sutiyoso include city councilors and NGO representatives in a reform team founded recently to clean the administration of corruption, collusion and nepotism.

Ali Imran Husein of Commission D for development affairs said yesterday the team, called the task force of control and supervision, would not work effectively if it consisted of only city administration officials.

"How can the team members properly carry out the tasks if the offenses are committed by their colleagues?" asked Ali of the United Development Party faction.

"Thus, the team should involve councilors and NGO activists so that it can truly carry out their function.

If not, their credibility will be questionable," he told The Jakarta Post.

Sutiyoso announced Friday the establishment of the team as part of his efforts to implement reform of the city administration, dubbed by many as home to many corrupt officials.

The establishment of the team is meant to answer the increasing public demands to have clean officials, a transparent bureaucracy and quicker public service, the governor said.

The team is led by Deputy Governor for Administrative Affairs Abdul Kahfi; he will be assisted by other high-ranking officials. The team is to work on four major issues: the city's public service, the budget, expenditure and law and organization.

According to councilor Ali, the team might face difficulties in carrying out their missions because corruption, collusion and nepotism had became so deeply rooted among city administration officials.

"It's easier to find projects which have links with the dirty practices than those which do not," he said.

He cited, for example, the cases of the appointment of city secretary Fauzi Bowo and the chronic financial problems of city- owned companies.

According to him, the appointment of Fauzi, the former head of the city tourism agency, was against a regulation which states that the city secretary should be a former secretary's assistant, mayor or head of the city's Development Planning Board.

"It's just an example of a nepotistic practice," he said.

Like other city-owned firms, PT Grafika Jaya printing company, never paid contributions to the city, he said.

"And they were never investigated," Ali said.

His idea, however, was rejected by Agus Pambagio, vice chairman of the Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI).

"It's O.K. questioning the credibility of the team members because many people have a negative image of them.

But it will be wasting time and money if the administration invites other people," he said.

He, therefore, urged Jakartans to give the team time to work, three months for example, before making any judgment.

"For us, we'll watch their work from outside," said Agus. (ind)