TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Pro-Jokowi (Projo) mass organization has expressed support to Jakarta governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama's (Ahok) decision to report alleged corruption case in the regional budget 2015 to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

"People have been tired of corrupt practices by political elites. To political parties that support Jokowi (President Joko Widodo) Projo appeals to seriously secure the implementation of the government's Nawacita (nine) programs especially corruption eradication program. People are already smart and have longed for a change," Projo general chairman Budi Arie Setiadi said in a press statement.

He said Projo would deplore if the alleged irregularity is indeed proven correct.

"Do not use the people's money at will. The regional budget mostly comes from taxes be they direct and indirect and therefore it must be used effectively and efficiently for the welfare of the people," he said.

He said Jakarta as the capital city must be able to set an example for other regions with regard to financial management.

"E-budgeting and transparency are a must. What has been pioneered by Jokowi during his Jakarta governorship must not be stopped," he said.

Jakarta governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama said that some members of the legislative assembly (DPRD) have cut 10 to 15 percent of the budgets for priority programs in the 2015 budget and allocated it for other programs worth Rp12.1 trillion which he thinks are not important.

The Rp12.1 trillion budget allocation the governor called as an "invisible budget" is allocated among others for purchasing uninterruptible power units which he considered as not useful.

Because of that Basuki had sent the draft government-version of the 2015 budget to the ministry of home affairs.

The DPRD did not accept his move of sending the draft budget that the DPRD leadership has not yet signed and decided to exercise their right of inquiry to see if the government has violated the law.

Basuki said that the e-budget could be submitted without signatures of DPRD members.

He said he had not deliberately asked for their approval in order to prevent the inclusion of the Rp12.1 trillion budget allocations that he had already scrapped.

ANTARA NEWS



