TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Jakarta regional secretary Saefullah said that the Regional Budget Draft for 2015 is set to be approved in January 2015.
“The budget [approval] has been delayed. We hope that it would be approved on time,” Saefullah told Tempo on Saturday, October 11, 2014.
The revised Regional Budget for 2014 was previously scheduled to be approved in July this year. However, Saefullah explained that the approval was postponed to August since the Jakarta Provicial Legislative Council (DPRD) returned the draft and required explanations on several budget items.
According to Saefullah, the acceleration of the budget approval target is to anticipate the sluggish discussion process. Delayed approval, Saefullah said, would cause delayed budget absorption that has just reached 28.61 percent by October 10, 2014.
The delay was also caused by changes in the system of procurement from conventional system to electronic ones. Saefullah said that one-year transition period for working units to adapt with the change would be sufficient. Later, the system will be fully implemented n 2015.
LINDA HAIRANI
