Members of the City Council on Friday launched a pro-poor budget caucus consisting of 19 members from all party factions of the council.
"We are planning to make a budget transparency bylaw this year so the caucus can use it during deliberation of the 2009 budget," caucus member Syamsidar Siregar of the National Mandate Party faction told reporters at the City Council.
She said that of the Rp 20.59 trillion (US$2.2 billion) in the city budget this year, around 63 percent was allocated for the public. However, she added, caucus members would check whether the allocated budget would, in fact, reach that target.
Caucus member Tatang Rusfandi of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle said if there was an budget allocation that went against lower-income groups, caucus members would lobby other faction members to cancel it.
"The budgeting process should undergo a plenary session when we talk about the budget details with all councilors. I am sure all factions will agree to fight for the poor," he said.
The caucus's initiation came after a meeting held last October on the intransparency of the city's budgeting process. The discussion was held by a nonprofit organization observing the budgeting process, the Indonesian Forum for Budget Transparency (Fitra), which also initiated the caucus.
Syamsidar said the caucus was formed to monitor budget planning.
"We want to have a fixed schedule for the deliberation of the 2009 budget, which is planned to start in June. The schedule will ensure the needs of the public and the executive are fulfilled in the budget," Syamsidar said.
Earlier, the city administration and the City Council were in a dispute over the budget after both bodies eliminated the other's budget.
The dispute heated up as the Home Ministry returned the draft budget by eliminating budget allocations made by City Council, such as for operational cars for the council spokesmen and renovation of the council's office, and reinstated allocations for the administration, such as for a greening program and the construction of new busway lanes.
The dispute ended Thursday after the city administration decided to return some budget, such as the operational cars for council spokesmen, graveyard procurement in Rorotan, North Jakarta, and charities to a number of foundations and social agencies.
The arduous procedure of budget-making has delayed some of the administration's programs, such as busway construction and tourism planning.
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