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everal so-called mobile Internet centers in North Sumatra are sitting idle because local administrations do not have the budget to operate them, an official says.

The Communication and Information Technology Ministry provided every region in North Sumatra with mobile Internet centers — which are basically Internet cafes on wheels — to provide free Internet access to people living in remote areas and to serve as a platform to introduce them to the world wide web.

Several regencies and mayoralties in North Sumatra have acknowledged that they cannot afford to operate the mobile Internet service centers, which were distributed by the ministry in October.

The Internet vans are currently parked at the administrative offices of the regencies and mayoralties. Some of them were seen to be gathering dust, and some had flat tires.

Deli Serdang Information and Communications Office head Neken Ketaren said that his office did not have the money to maintain or operate the mobile Internet vans. They are currently lying idle in the parking lot of the Deli Serdang regency administrative office.

“The ministry provided four of the vans for the Deli Serdang administration, but they have yet to be operated in villages because we lack operational expenses,” Neken told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

The Communication and Information Ministry symbolically handed over the vans to all regencies and mayoralties in North Sumatra through interim governor Gatot Pujonugroho on Oct. 17.

Neken said funds to operate the vans had not been included in the current fiscal year because the Deli Serdang regency administration had only received them on Oct. 17 this year. He added that his office had proposed that operational funds for the vans be earmarked in the 2012 regency budget.

“We have proposed operational costs for the four vans in the 2012 regency budget of around Rp 300 million [about US$35,300]. The operational expenses include fuel, salaries for technical officers and drivers, and Internet fees,” said Neken, adding that his office must pay Rp 1 million a month for the Internet connection. Each van is equipped with six computers.

Neken said that the vans were designed to help educate the nation and that they should not be a burden on regional administrations. It was only logical, therefore, that the provincial administration play a role in covering the vans’ operational costs, she said.