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ollowing an instruction by President Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo to accelerate rates of spending, Governor Basuki '€œAhok'€ Tjahaja Purnama gathered hundreds of civil servants at City Hall on Thursday and ordered them to spend their budgets more quickly, or else face demotion.

Ahok also invited officials from other institutions to the meeting, including Jakarta Police Chief Insp. Gen. Tito Karnavian, Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) auditor Syamsuddin, Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) director of wealth disclosure Cahya Hardianto Harefa, deputy Jakarta Prosecutor'€™s Office chief Isran Yogi and Development Finance Comptroller (BPKP) Jakarta chief Bonny Anang Dwijanto, each of whom gave a pep talk to the assembled civil servants.

'€œI'€™ve gathered you all here today to ask you why our spending is so low. I want you to tell me what the problem is,'€ Ahok told the officials, who numbered in the hundreds.

In April, the Home Ministry belatedly approved the city budget at Rp 69.2 trillion (US$4.9 billion) following disagreements between the city administration and the city council over the draft budget. According to data from the Jakarta Financial and Asset Management Board (BPKAD), the city as of Thursday had only spent Rp 12.5 trillion of a targeted Rp 63.6 trillion, or about 19.25 percent.

The lowest spending was in the city'€™s capital expenditure, which has thus far reached only Rp 526 billion of the targeted Rp 20.4 trillion, or about 2.57 percent. Capital expenditure includes land procurement and the construction of government and school buildings and overpasses and sidewalks.

'€œI ask that everyone here speed up spending. If I don'€™t see any progress by next month, I will begin demoting all of you,'€ Ahok said.

The civil servants told Ahok of their concerns, which included being scrutinized by law enforcers, and admitted to being unsettled by the ongoing investigations into alleged corruption in the city administration. Newly inaugurated Jakarta Goods and Services Procurement Agency (BPPBJ) head Blessmiyanda said that many civil servants in his agency had been called as witnesses to both the Jakarta Police headquarters and the Jakarta Prosecutor'€™s Office in relation to graft cases.

'€œWe'€™re scared of being prosecuted,'€ Blessmiyanda said.

General Affairs Bureau chief Agustino Darmawan voiced similar concerns, saying that after his questioning as a witness, he was scared of being falsely accused and prosecuted.

Housing and Government Building Agency head Ika Lestari Aji, meanwhile, said that law enforcers were currently investigating an embezzlement case that allegedly took place more than two years ago at her agency. Her subordinates, she said, were afraid of being dragged into the case.

'€œThis is something that took place years ago and we'€™re confused,'€ Ika remarked.

In response, Tito told the civil servants that the expiry date of a corruption investigation is 12 years from the date of the deed. As such, he said, law enforcers would continue investigating even if the alleged crime was committed more than a year previously.

The police chief added that officials should continue working normally if they had nothing to hide.

'€œIt'€™s actually quite simple; if you have nothing to hide, then cooperate with law enforcers and keep working. Instead of delaying spending, you should thank Pak Ahok for changing the working culture in the Jakarta administration,'€ Tito said.