Regional Budget for People’s Welfare

The Jakarta administration has set its 2023 regional budget (APBD) at Rp 83.78 trillion (US$5.35 billion). Residents of the capital city must know how the budget will be used.

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

Transjakarta bus stop, Tosari on Jalan MH Thamrin, Jakarta, which is under construction, Saturday (1/10/2022). The revitalization of the Tosari Transjakarta bus stop and the Hotel Indonesia roundabout is being questioned because they are considered to be in contact with objects suspected of being cultural heritage.

This daily reported that the 2023 Jakarta regional budget had increased by around Rp 1.2 trillion from the general budget ceiling proposed by the Jakarta administration. The increase occurred because of a projected increase in the 2022 regional budget surplus from Rp 6.7 trillion to Rp 7.9 trillion.

The 2023 Jakarta APBD consists of Rp 74.38 trillion in regional revenue and Rp 9.40 trillion in budget receipts, with allocations of Rp 74.61 trillion for regional expenditures and Rp. 9.16 trillion for budget expenditures. The Jakarta APBD allocates 41.27 percent to three priority programs, namely flood control, traffic management, and anticipating the impacts of reduced economic growth. The respective allocations for education and basic health services are 21.09 percent and 13.47 percent.

Also read:

> Heru Budi Hartono, Floods, Traffic and Spatial Planning

> The Homework of Overcoming Jakarta Floods

Jakarta residents must know how the regional budget is used through information disclosure, so there is consistency between programs and expenditures. Moreover, according to the records of the Indonesia Budget Center, the 2023 Jakarta APBD has been determined on time, unlike in previous years. In addition, residents experienced difficulty accessing information on the APBD for the last two years, so they did not know how the budget was being spent (Kompas, 30/11/2022).

KOMPAS/PRIYOMBODO

Aerial photo of the flow of the Ciliwung river in the Kampung Melayu area, Jatinegara, East Jakarta, which borders Bukit Duri, Tebet, South Jakarta, Friday (21/10/2022). Acting Governor of DKI Jakarta Heru Budi Hartono continues to normalize the Ciliwung River to handle floods in the capital city.

It is understandable if the residents of Jakarta, and also residents in other regions, want to know how their regional budget is being spent. According to Law No. 14/2008 on public information disclosure, regional budgets may be shared with the public. The APBD can even be categorized as information that must be provided to and easily accessed by a region’s residents, especially regarding programs that determine their quality of life and welfare.

In its considerations, Law No. 14/2008 emphasizes that information is a basic need for everyone in terms of personal development and the social environment, and is an important dimension of national security. Obtaining information is a human right (HAM), and public information disclosure is one of the characteristics of a democratic country that guarantees the people's sovereignty by realizing good governance. Public information disclosure is a means of optimizing public oversight of the administration of the state and other public agencies, and everything that affects the public interest.

Also read:

> Jakarta, Now and Ahead

Over the last five years, the use of the Jakarta APBD has often fallen under public scrutiny because it was deemed not on target and not truly supportive of efforts to realize the residents’ welfare. The APBD, for example, was prioritized for increasing the allowances of the members of the Jakarta Legislative Council, forming the governor's teams, ingbuild nonfunctioning infiltration wells, and/or purchasing unnecessary items.

Information related to the 2023 Jakarta APBD must be opened to the public, so residents can oversee its use for the common good.

This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi.