TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama hoped that his relations with the Jakarta Regional Council (DPRD) could improve in 2016.

According to him, relations between the executive and the legislative, especially in terms of guarding the use of the regional budget (ABPD), have to be maintained for the sake of the people’s welfare.

“The point is, together, we have to ensure that the regional budget won’t be used for things that do not bring benefits,” Basuki said on Sunday (3/1).

Basuki also asked the Jakarta DPRD to be more critical in carrying out its supervisory function.

“I hope that in the future, the DPRD could be more critical and it will help me as the executive body,” Basuki added.

For the record, harmonious relations between the Jakarta Governor and the Jakarta DPRD was apparent the deliberation process until the approval of the 2016 regional budget.

Unlike in the previous years, the deliberation of the 2016 Jakarta regional budget, which is worth Rp. 66.3 trillion and was approved on 23 December, proceeded more smoothly.

Basuki also thanked DPRD, which he considered did not impede the deliberation of the budget.

“The executive would like to thank the legislative. This is he best budget deliberation in the Jakarta history. Both the executive and the legislative supervise and monitor the deliberation," Basuki said.

GHOIDA RAHMAH