State secretariat slammed for parking lot

JAKARTA: The National Secretariat of the Indonesian Forum for Budget Transparency (FITRA) has slammed the government for allotting Rp 12.3 billion (US$1.36 million) for the construction of parking facilities at the State Secretariat.

“The government is having way more luxurious facilities compared to what it has provided for the public,” FITRA’s coordinator for advocacy and investigation Uchok Sky Khadafi said on Friday as quoted by kompas.com.

He said that the budget was four-times bigger than a similar project at the House of Representatives compound worth Rp 3 billion.

“It is really concerning. Look at public facilities with minimum maintenance, but for the palace, state money seems to be spent lavishly,” said Uchok.

Previously, FITRA also lambasted the planned renovations of state-owned palaces in Bogor, Cipanas, Jakarta, Tampaksiring and Yogyakarta, worth a combined Rp 21.89 billion.