Jakarta – The Jakarta City Council's Commission A has recommended that the budget for the Governor's Team for Accelerated Development (TGUPP) be scrapped from the capital's 2020 budget priorities (KUA-PPAS).
The commission, which oversees governance, suggested that the source of funds for the team, which was given a budget of Rp 19.8 billion (US$1.4 million), come from Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan's operational funds since they reported directly to him.
"[The budget] should be relocated," Commission A head and Democratic Party politician Mujiyono said on Monday as quoted by kompas.com.
Mujiyono said the commission would make a recommendation on the issue during an upcoming meeting to discuss the KUA-PPAS with the City Council budget committee.
"Most of the commission members want to scrap [the TGUPP budget], but it's not that easy. We will work on it with the budget committee," he said.
Mujiyono said the commission also recommended that the main functions and responsibilities of the TGUPP be evaluated because the number of team members and budget had increased more during Anies' tenure than it did under those of his predecessors.
"They have increased dramatically. The Commission A's recommendation on the TGUPP is that their responsibilities and authority should be evaluated and made clear," he added.
The Jakarta administration's governance assistant, Artal Reswan, said the TGUPP budget had not yet been scrapped and that the administration had yet to formally receive any recommendations from the commission.
"We don't know yet what the recommendations are because Commission A has not yet issued them," Reswan said.
In 2017, the budget for the TGUPP was Rp 1.69 billion before it was later revised to Rp 1 billion. The budget increased to Rp 19.8 billion the next year but was again revised to Rp 16.2 billion.
The TGUPP's budget for 2019 was first proposed at Rp 19.8 billion before later being revised to Rp 18.99 billion. The Jakarta administration suggested that the TGUPP budget should be Rp 19.8 billion for 2020. (ami)