City turns to ministry to resolve budget woes

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Mon, 01/22/2007 3:31 PM | Jakarta

Jakarta administration secretary Ritola Tasmaya said Saturday that the city was waiting for the Home Ministry to review the 2007 budget in a bid to prevent a deficit.

Ritola said a letter was sent last week to the ministry, stating that the city was unlikely to be able to finance several programs worth a total Rp 1.1 trillion (US$121 million), appended by the City Council during a budget hearing between the administration and councilors.

The budget was originally Rp 20.4 trillion, but the extra programs inflated it to Rp 21.5 trillion.

""Political ethics do not allow us to cancel programs that have been approved by the City Council, even if we have the money. But the ministry could do it,"" he said. He declined to name the programs involved.

Ritola said that the letter sent to the ministry was a final attempt to settle the dispute between the administration and the council over the additional programs in the budget.

After the budget was approved by the council, Governor Sutiyoso signed a bylaw endorsing its implementation. Later, he complained to reporters about its inflation.

The City Council was not concerned by Sutiyoso's remarks until they discovered that Jakarta's budget reserves had decreased from Rp 2.9 trillion to Rp 1.8 trillion.

City Council Speaker Ade Surapriatna said the council had projected that the administration would take in more than revenue than it had the year before, so the budget could be increased.

""Citizens expect the administration to create more programs for them. That's why we raised the budget,"" he said.

Ade said that he had not thought the budget reserve would disappear.

An opportunity to revise the budget would open in July, when a new round of budget talks would begin, but it was most likely too late, he said.

He said that the City Council could only suggest that the administration delay certain programs, such as clearing land for a public cemetery or allowances for civil servants. --JP

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