Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Vice President Boediono has criticized local governments for keeping PNPM development funds in their budgets, saying their action had the potential of causing the funds to vanish and not reach the target.

"If the PNPM (Self-Reliant Community Empowerment National Program) funds are `moving around` it is feared they may not reach those who are eligible or the intended targets," he said in his speech at the opening of MDGs Empowerment Exhibition here on Thursday.

The event was also attended by the coordinating miniter of people`s welfare Agung Laksono, fisheries and marine resource minister Fadel Muhammad and administrative reform minister EE Mangindaan.

Boediono did not name the local governments concerned but advised that they would stop doing that.

He said if the PNPM funds have to enter the local budgets first it would take too long for the people to wait for them. So it would better if they set up a special `menu` where all stakeholders may participate openly and transparently in it.

"Do not ever play on money mandated by the people and business community to the government. If they have a sense of security with their money the business community would double their CSR (corporate social responsibility)," he said.

He said the sense of security was important because if the funds reach the target they will certainly continue to extend their assistance.

He also referred to tax payers as an example who are willing to pay taxes because know the funds they give would be used for good purposes.

Regarding the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) Boediono meanwhile has asked for localizing the term because people who live in remote regions do not know what MDGs is.

"The essence (of the program) is meeting the basic needs of the people in the fields of education, health and income. There is no need to use the term MDGs as the important thing is its essence," he said.

He said MDGs is a term launched by the world as indicators which can be objectively measured and compared to those of other countries so that the position of a country at a certain year could be seen by comparing it to other countries with regard to the fulfillment of its people`s welfare.

"What is important with it is the essence not the terminology. The substance is increasing various main indicators of people`s welfare," he said.

Boediono said people must not be let ignorance about the MDGs which is actually a program for improving their welfare.

The MDGs is a declaration of the United Nations signed by 189 countries in 2000 containing eight goals that must be achieved by 2015.

The goals include poverty and hunger eradication, gender equality and women empowerment, fight against HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, environmental preservation, development of global partnership in development efforts, education for all, reduction of the death rate of children and improving mothers` heatlh.
(Uu.H-YH/HAJM/O001)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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