TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Jakarta Deputy Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama hoped the would-be councilmen of the Jakarta Legislative Council (DPRD Jakarta) for the 2014-2019 tenure could give a green light to the Jakarta administration’s planned regional regulation on scholarship. Ahok said the regulation was necessary to jack up the number of students in the capital.

“I hope the new councilmen will approve the regional regulation on scholarship,” he said after attending a Halal bi Halal (post-Ramadan gathering) at Manggala Wanabakti building on Sunday, August 24, 2014.

Ahok said there were still 40 percent of Jakartans aged 16-18 who were not enrolled at school nor graduated from high school, whereas those in the criteria would become the nation’s main pillar in engaging the 2015 ASEAN Economic Community and the demographic bonus in 2025.

The Home Affairs Ministry is slated to install 106 councilmen of the DPRD Jakarta today, Monday, August 25, 2014.

The former East Belitung regent also hoped the next councilmen would okay the city administration’s e-budgeting and e-catalog plans, which aimed at averting ballooning and leaking of its program budgets.

Ahok said the lingering issues of street vendors at the Kota Tua area would also be among the topics discussed in the city administration’s talks with the council, adding that the capital’s authorities would need to take massive endeavors to cope with them.

LINDA HAIRANI