TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Experts said Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo and Deputy Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama had yet to maximize the spending of their regional budget in the first year of their governance. The governor himself said he was appalled at the absorption of the capital’s 2013 regional budget, which only saw 41 percent to date.

According to the Jakarta administration’s official website, there are three agencies with low budget absorption. They are the Parks and Cemetery Agency with 6.4 percent, the Government Building and Housing Agency with 9.16 percent, and the Communications and Informatics Agency with 9.75 percent. The average budget absorption rate of all agencies is around 20-40 percent.

Nirwono Joga, a spatial planning expert with the Trisakti University, said this problem ensued from the disharmony between both leaders with the capital’s bureaucrats. “Jokowi and Ahok hail from outside Jakarta, they don’t have any confidant yet,” Nirwono told Tempo on Tuesday, October 15, 2013.

Nirwono said this was the reason the governor still left several strategic positions in the city administration vacant, including the positions of Regional Secretary; Regional Development Planning Board chief; Parks and Cemetery Agency chief; Cooperatives, Small and Medium Enterprises and Trade Agency chief; and Regional Disaster Mitigation chief.

Jakarta Deputy Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama admitted to facing difficulties in filling the vacant positions. He said there were many qualified, young officials in the city administration, but he could not promote them due to administrative requirements.

ANGGRITA DESYANI