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Jakarta Post

Sumarsono halts TNI, police grants

Acting Jakarta governor Sumarsono has halted the allocation of grants for the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National Police in the 2017 city budget

Corry Elyda (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Wed, November 30, 2016

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Sumarsono halts TNI, police grants

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cting Jakarta governor Sumarsono has halted the allocation of grants for the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National Police in the 2017 city budget.

Sumarsono said at City Hall on Tuesday that the city administration excluded the allocations for several reasons.

“They receive grants every year. They have not even used all the grants allocated this year,” he said.

Sumarsono said both institutions had also failed to fulfill their obligation to submit accountability reports on fund usage.

Any organization that requests grants worth Rp 200 million (US$14,800) or more from the city administration is required to submit such reports every year.

The military and police respectively received Rp 41 billion and Rp 21 billion last year from the city administration.

The city administration, under the leadership of Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama, allocated additional funds from the city budget for members of both institutions when they were asked to assist the city’s programs, including evictions.

In addition, the city administration has also built a parking lot for the city police. The Rp 80 billion parking lot project was funded by a private developer taking part in the controversial reclamation project on Jakarta’s northern coast, which was required by the city administration as an “additional contribution” in return for being awarded the reclamation project.

Sumarsono said if the military and police needed more grants, he could easily allocate the funds in the revised city budget, which will be drafted in June.

He made it clear that he did intend to scrap the grants for either institution, as they were the main partners of the city administration.

Ahok, who is required by law to take leave for his election bid, has expressed his disappointment at what he believes is Sumarsono’s attempt to undo his budget policies, including his decision to halt the grants for the TNI and the police.

“What is the most expensive thing in Jakarta? Land. Which institutions have many land plots? Both of them [the military and the police,” he said as quoted by kompas.com. The governor did not elaborate.

Ahok previously slammed the acting governor for approving the disbursement of grants for Jakarta’s Betawi Culture Consultative Body (Bamus Betawi) worth Rp 2.5 billion. Ahok had decided to suspend grants for Bamus, as he believed the organization had been playing politics by asking people not to vote for him on election day.

Jakarta Financial Management and Asset Board (BPKAD) head Heru Budi Hartono played down Ahok’s concerns, saying that the city administration under Sumarsono had not made changes to the city budget drafted by Ahok, who had challenged the 2016 Regional Elections Law so that he could work during the campaign period to safeguard the city budget.

Heru said the city would focus on allocating funds for urgent programs such as low-cost apartments. the Jakarta Smart Card (KJP), Jakarta Health Card (KJP) and other projects for the first half of 2017.

“When we get additional funds from the central government, amounting to Rp 6 trillion, we will allocate the funds for the grants [for the military and police],” he said.

Heru said deliberations on the grant for the police and military had begun when the city commenced the drafting of the 2017 budget, adding that no “corrections” or “changes” had been made.

He said the total grant for the three institutions — police, Jakarta Military Command and Marines — reached up to Rp 200 billion.

Jakarta Military Command spokesperson Col. Inf. Heri Prakosa said his institution had not taken issue with the delay.

“We still have our own budget, so there is no problem,” he said.

He said the military would use the funds to purchase riot equipment.

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