REGIONAL BUDGET (APBD) ARRANGEMENT SHOULD BE FOCUSED ON REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The regional administration, in preparing Re­gional Budget (APBD), is demanded to focus on regional development program in the framework of in­creasing social welfare. The fact is that the regional administration has not been prioritizing regional development program. This can be seen from employee spending which is higher than Infrastructure spending. In fact, infrastructure is needed by the society to accelerate the economy.

Mardiasmo, Head of Financial and Develop­ment Supervisory Board (BPKP), in Jakarta on Friday (2/15/2013) said that the provincial administration has not arranged APBD in accordance with regional development priority. In addition to that, many stra­tegic plans (renstra) are not used in the arrangement of APED. Arrangement of APBD in 2012 in 33 provinces & and 32 cities is also unpunctual. “We hope that APBD arrangement will be focused on regional development and social welfare”. Mardiasmo said.

BPKP in cooperation with the Corruption Erad­ication Commission (KPK) has formed a corruption pre­vention team. In 2012, the team focuses on regional administration, namely 33 provinces throughout In­donesia. Result of the supervision will be submitted to the President, the regional administration, and the House of Representatives. Mardiasmo explained that, there are three points supervised, namely APBD, procurement of goods and services, and public services.

For APBD, there are still many regional rev­enues (PAD) that can be cultivated. For procurement of goods and services, findings of BPKP and KPK are, among other things, inadequate planning: inadequate, ad hoc and impermanent service units; the tender committee consists of human resources not having certification in procurement of goods and services; inapt public service components. He took the ex­ample of Regional Public Hospital who discriminates between patients who have money and those who have not.

It is explained that budget politics used by the executive and legislative in APBD arrangement is still far from the role of the campus community end other elements. The proof is that the budget post for pub­lic interest is smaller than food and beverage spend­ing used within the bureaucracy. And, official travel spending is still too high. This is the reality of APBD which occurs in almost all regental/city administra­tion. Budget structure in APBD is executive-oriented, even though the finishing stage is in the Regional House of Representatives.

Looking at the APBD plan arranged by the Re­gional House of Representatives and the executive body, activists, nongovernmental institutions, aca­demicians, and student movements should critically think about the solution. Source of APBD revenue is taxes paid by the public. Political parties should also think smartly in creating APED that reflects the aspi­rations of their constituents.

Business News - February 20,2013