The best time to prepare for the annual flood season in Jakarta is when it’s not raining, like during the blisteringly hot summer we’re experiencing right now. However, the capital might be ill-equipped to keep itself from being submerged during the upcoming monsoon due to a substantial budget cut proposal.
As reported by CNN Indonesia, in the city’s revised 2018 budget (APBD-P), Governor Anies Baswedan’s administration is proposing budget cuts to four flood prevention programs, totaling IDR242 billion (US$16.46 million). The four programs encompass construction and maintenance of canals and drainage systems, as well as other flood prevention measure for the capital.
Jakarta City Council Chairman Prasetio Edi Marsudi criticized the proposed cuts during yesterday’s budget meeting.
“The problem is with the flood prevention budget, why am I seeing cuts? It should be raised. If we need the money, we’ll be ready. Who made this budget proposal?” Prasetio said, as quoted by CNN Indonesia.
Prasetio then urged Anies to reconsider the proposal and not to make changes to policies that worked under the previous administration.
The Jakarta administration and City Council agreed to allocate IDR3.4 trillion for flood prevention in the 2018 budget (APBD) passed in December.
Anies’ administration is also facing criticism as the APBD-P is expected to balloon up by IDR6.1 trillion to add to the IDR77.1 trillion total budget allocated in the 2018 APBD. Much of the increase will go towards providing capital for companies owned by the province (which Anies said earlier this year that he expects them to be financially independent), which includes the ongoing LRT and MRT railway projects.
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