Councillors surprised by budget allocation for monkey census

Multa Fidrus , The Jakarta Post , Tangerang | Thu, 09/18/2008 4:44 PM | Jakarta

When asked about funds proposed by the administration to finance a census on monkey populations in Solear district, some members of the Tangerang regental council frowned, others smiled mockingly.

The administration has proposed allocating Rp 300 million (US$32,300) from the regional budget to study population growth of the long-tailed monkeys (mucaca fascica lacies) in their habitat around the site of Syeh Mas'ad's grave in the district.

However, almost all legislative council members were at odds and said it was very strange for the administration to allocate a budget for research on primate populations in the regency.

"I think the proposal is unnecessary," Anugrah, a councillor of the Prospereous Justice Party faction said, adding that the administration should have allocated the funds in the people's interests.

"But we can't do anything now, the budget proposal on the monkey census has already been approved. We don't understand how it slipped from our discussion. It is very unbelievable," council deputy speaker Arief Wahyudi said.

Arief said the monkey study could be included in several budget proposals that the council had not yet discussed.

"I am sure such a proposal would not have been approved if it was discussed by the council," he said.

"The regental administration allocates the funds with the intention of developing regional potentials for the tourism sector. The budget will be used by the regional development planning body (Bappeda)," said Solear district chief Surya Wijaya.

He said the administration had difficulties developing Solear into a recreational site, especially for wisata ziarah, a season when Muslims pay respects to dead loved ones in the holy month of Ramadan.

"Wisata ziarah in Solear is only managed by a group of locals. The administration has to interfere, then there will be more people who can earn living from the site," he said, adding that the population of monkeys in the district had never been counted.

The administration would collaborate with the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB) to conduct the census.

However, Dahyat Tunggara, a councillor representing Solear district at the council said the study was not urgent.

He said a census on monkeys in Solewra was once conducted by IPB and the University of Indonesia several years ago.

"They held the census by catching the monkey with nets. After that, the monkeys were gathered and counted one by one. The population of monkeys at the time was not high. But the present population is predicted to reach up to 300," he said, adding that the census per monkey costs Rp 1 million.

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