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span class="inline inline-center">Jakarta Governor Basuki '€œAhok'€ Tjahaja Purnama.((Kompas/Kurnia Sari Aziza)has said he safeguarded Rp 4.15 trillion (US$300.50 million) during days of final checks of the city budget document known as the 2016 General Policy for City Budget Priorities and Tentative Budget Platform (KUA-PPAS).

'€œOver 11 days, I worked from 8 a.m. to midnight. We managed to secure Rp 4.15 trillion,'€ Ahok said in Jakarta on Tuesday.

According to Ahok, he significantly cut the budget allocations for the city'€™s Tourism and Culture Agency and Education Agency because the two agencies had allocated funds for non-urgent activities in the draft city budget.

Ahok said his administration would use the funds to construct more low-cost apartments, purchase heavy equipment for the Bina Marga road agency, renovate city infrastructure and increase the salaries of non-permanent workers in the city administration.

'€œWith the funds, we will increase the salaries of non-permanent workers from Rp 2.7 million per month to Rp 3.1 million, the city'€™s minimum wage,'€ Ahok said

Meanwhile, according to Jakarta administration secretary Saefullah, the city administration had proposed Rp 66 trillion in the 2016 city budget bill to the City Council. The draft budget is expected to be agreed on after being debated at a council hearing.

Ahok said his administration had published the 2016 KUA-PPAS document on the city administration'€™s website jakarta.go.id so it would be accessible to all Jakarta residents.

"We have published it, just visit jakarta.go.id. All budget allocations we have proposed [to the City Council] in the form of KUA-PPAS have been published on the website. You can see all components of the budgets,'€ Ahok said.

The budget deliberations at the City Council were expected to be completed on Dec. 22, the governor added. (bbn)(+)