TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo, or Jokowi, denied reports that his blusukan--the surprise inspections he does to residential areas, kampongs, government institutions and other public facilities in Jakarta--costs Rp 26.6 billion. "The blusukan is free, there's no money, the only capital is my feet," Jokowi said at the City Hall, Monday, July 22.
Jokowi said that the Rp26.6 billion is the budget for Jakarta's tactical operations. That, too, according to Jokowi, has its own rules and allocation, including for the Deputy Governor.
The budget is regulated in Government Regulation No.109/2000 on the Financial Position of Regional Heads and Deputies, which stipulates that if a region gets a revenue of more than Rp500 billion, the lowest budget is Rp1.25 billion while the maximum is 0.15 percent of the revenue.
The operational funds, Jokowi said, is used for unexpected conditions. "For example, the community needs a discussion budget or other activities." The governor said the budget is called a social insecurity budget.
Previously, the Indonesian Forum for Budget Transparency (Fitra) criticized Jokowi's blusukan to kampongs. Fitra's director for investigation and advocacy, Uchok Sky Khadafi, said that the blusukan is a waste of the city's budget and "smells of branding".
According to him, the blusukan is included in the 2013 operational expenditure, amounting to Rp26.67 billion per year. Uchok compared the budget with the operational support for former Governor Fauzi Bowo which only amounted to Rp17.64 billion.
"Jokowi has more budget, approximately Rp9 billion," Uchok said. According to him, spending more money on operational budgets is the same as wasting taxpayers' money because there is no direct benefit from it.
"Rebuilding Jakarta should not be done with blusukan, but by improving and managing the bureaucracy, as well as teaching the officials how to serve the people with sincerity," he said.
SYAILENDRA