T

he Makassar city 2015 budget proposal submitted by the Makassar municipality has been met with sharp criticism as many of the proposed budget allocations have been deemed irrational.

Among the criticized budget allocations proposed by the municipal secretariat was the procurement of equipment and supplies at the mayor'€™s office and the official residences of the mayor, deputy mayor and municipal secretary worth more than Rp 106 billion (about US$8.8 million).

City councilors say the allocation is unnecessary as the supplies and equipment at the municipal offices and official residences were still usable.

'€œDoes having a new mayor mean that all office and home equipment has to be new as well? This is irrational because the old equipment can still be used,'€ said Makassar municipal council Commission A deputy head Rudianto Lallo over the weekend.

Official cars, communication devices, computers, typewriters, printers, desks and conference chairs, sofa set, dining set, closet, bookcase, kitchen utensils, beds and washing machines were among the proposed equipment and supplies. The municipality also proposed a budget for the procurement of kitchen appliances worth around Rp 1.3 billion, which includes tableware, such as plates, bowls, glasses, cups, spoons and forks worth Rp 965 million.

A budget of Rp 220 million for the procurement of beds, including decor for the official residences of the mayor, deputy mayor and municipal secretary has also been submitted.

'€œThe Makassar municipality should have prioritized people'€™s interests, especially in Makassar, where there are still many poor people. Why should they buy cutlery at almost Rp 1 billion?'€ asked Rudianto, who is a politician from the NasDem Party.

Separately, the coordinator of corruption watchdog the South Sulawesi Anti-Corruption Committee (ACC), Abdul Muttalib, deemed the budget proposal as a waste of funds and said that it could lead to corruption.

The budget proposal, added Muttalib, went against President Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo'€™s instruction for the central government and regional administrations to conserve funds.

In response to the criticism, Makassar Mayor Mohammad Ramdhan Pomanto went on the defense, saying that the proposal included items that were needed and served the interests of the people.

He said the procurement of kitchenware, specifically cutlery, was needed as the President banned civil servants from holding activities in hotels.

'€œThe President has prohibited us from holding events in hotels, so we will need to purchase tableware, including plates and spoons,'€said Danny, as the mayor is popularly known.

Danny, however, scratched the proposal for beds for the official residences of the mayor, deputy mayor and municipal secretary amounting to Rp 220 million. He asked that the proposed funds be transferred to public hospitals.

The municipality'€™s 2015 city budget proposal amounts to Rp 3.2 trillion, while the city is targeting revenue of Rp 989 billion.