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Body questions Rp 13 million a day for Fauzi's dining
The Indonesian Forum for Budget Transparency (Fitra) revealed the city used the 2010 budget plan for dining unwisely
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The Indonesian Forum for Budget Transparency (Fitra) revealed the city used the 2010 budget plan for dining unwisely.
Arief Rakhman, Fitra's state budget official, said he suspected that officials had wasted the allocation set aside for food.
"For example, the budget allocation for Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo's reception reaches Rp 4.9 billion *US$520,000* annually.
"This works out as about Rp 13 million a day, which is far too much," he said.
Another example, he said, was the food allocation for an aerobic event at the social affairs agency, which reached Rp 100 million per year.
Ucok SKY Khadafi, a senior researcher at Fitra, said many agencies were not transparent in budgeting their spending plans for food.
"Food costs for officials in the city's agencies amount to more than Rp 19 billion.
"The city officials' costs for food are accounted for in their salary, so no more should be spent," Ucok said.
He said the Rp 19 billion food allocation did not include the cost of food for meetings and events.
Ucok said the agencies should control amounts spent by breaking down spending plans and documenting the number of participants, meetings and events that require snacks or meals.
"The spending amount must be reasonable," he said, adding only a few agencies undertook this initiative.
Arief said the city should be wiser in budgeting food spending, con-sidering health and welfare was more urgent.
Meanwhile, Jakarta Financial Management Agency chief Sukri Bey, however, played down the criticism.
"I think the food budget is reasonable.
"The governor, for example, receives at least two important international or national guests at the City Hall each day and must provide them with a decent meal and entertainment," he said.
He said the amount budgeted for officials' food was related to the city's effort to increase their welfare.
"Officials will not take advantage of the budget," he said.
Earlier, Fitra criticized the city's allocation of Rp 17.35 billion to procure computers from 2007 to 2009. None cropped up in the city's assets inventory.
