A Jakarta councillor questioned on Wednesday a newly created position in the city administration, namely assistants to regional development planning forums (Musrenbang) and community unit (RW) meetings.

Councillor Gembong Warsono, from Commission A overseeing governance, said the policy was a waste of city funds.  

Jakarta Development Planning Board planned to recruit and pay Rp 150,000 (US$10) a day for transport to the assistants because they would handle several RWs within a subdistrict. Each of the 267 subdistricts across the city would be equipped with five assistants. 

“As long as it helps societal development, we will not question [the policy]. However, if it is a waste of funds for unclear purposes, we should ask why,” Gembong said on Tuesday as quoted by kompas.com.

Gembong said the city had equipped the Musrenbang with online systems and informed on the standard for online submissions.

The city’s development planning and budgeting division head, Agus Sanyoto, said RW meetings often happened at night and that the assistants would be highly mobile.

“[Thus] we will give them transport money,” Agus said.

The assistants were expected to start working at the end of 2018 to assist with the draft of the 2020 city working plan. (gis)