Priority programs may be back on track

Mustaqim Adamrah ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Sat, 03/15/2008 11:56 AM  |  City

The administration may retain its priority programs after the Home Affairs Ministry approved an additional revision on the 2008 city budget, an official says.

The city secretary's financial affairs assistant, Hari Sandjojo, said Friday the administration would replace Rp 1.2 trillion (US$130.3 million) worth of programs which were culled by the administration.

"The ministry has reallocated Rp 1.2 trillion to the 2008 city budget to run priority programs this year," he said at City Hall.

The decision, he said, was made after a meeting with the ministry's directorate general in charge of regional administration finance, and the City Council budget committee.

Consequently, Hari said, priority programs like the green space campaign, the establishment of electronic procurement, operational funds for education and subsidies for the busway system would receive funding this year.

Of the Rp 3.93 trillion initially proposed for a number of priority programs, the amount was slashed by some Rp 1.2 trillion in January, a month after the administration issued a bylaw to approve the 2008 draft budget.

Councillors had erased these programs to provide funding for other areas which they deemed more necessary, including studies to set education standards, to secure jobs in Jakarta and to set minimum service standards.

Despite the major changes, the administration still sent the draft budget to the ministry for approval in February.

Hari said the meeting between the ministry and City Council was expected to end the disagreements on the draft budget.

"The council cut Rp 63 billion from the budgeted Rp 263 billion initially proposed for busway subsidy," Hari said.

"But the subsidy is now back to Rp 263 billion, thanks to the ministry's decision," he said.

Aside from the Rp 1.2 trillion worth of priority programs, the administration also allocated funding for multi-year programs. A projected Rp 600 billion for land acquisition for the East Flood Canal and Rp 180 billion for the Mass Rapid Transit project were among its main targets this year.

The multi-year programs are development projects which the administration has worked on over the past few years.

Other projected priority programs include Rp 94 billion for repairs to existing low-cost apartments and for the construction of new blocks, Rp 1.1 trillion for education and Rp 227 billion for work on the busway.

The council has also cut Rp 843.56 billion from these budget items, resulting in a surplus of Rp 3.09 trillion.

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