"The special allocation fund for this year reached Rp530 billion..."Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Ministry of Environment stated that the central government special allocation funds (DAK) in 2013 would be focused on the provision of infrastructure for pollution control, environmental damage prevention, and rehabilitation of ecosystems.
"The special allocation fund for this year reached Rp530 billion, and it will be specifically allocated to provinces, districts, and cities to provide some infrastructure for the improvement of environmental quality," Minister of Environment Balthasar Kambuaya said here on Monday.
According to the Minister, almost all provinces, districts and cities in the country have planned to allocate budgets for environmental infrastructure development.
"Besides, many provinces are increasingly self-sufficient in funding local environmental activities with their respective local budgets, so that there must be distribution of authority to handle environmental issues," he said.
He further said, from the Good Governance point of view, the Ministry and local governments should implement transparency and accountability in the funding of environmental activities in order to ensure that state financial management is in accordance with regulation.
"The transparency and accountability also aim to ensure that funds from the Ministry of Environment, disbursed in several programs, such as de-concentration and special allocation funds (DAK) is used properly to accelerate the achievement of national targets on environmental issues targeted in 2014," he explained.
Meanwhile, the Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Hermien Roosita stated, there are at least five proposals, related to the need of additional funding from the national budget, to fund activities aimed at reducing pollution and environmental damage.
One of the proposals, she said, is the provision of infrastructure for pollution control proposed by 20 districts/cities and provinces.
In addition, as many as 39 districts/cities and provinces have proposed for additional fund to obtain the 3R (Reuse, Reduce, Recycle) infrastructure for waste management.
"There are also demands from some provinces for assistance for rehabilitation of forest ecosystem and land waters, coastal ecosystem rehabilitation, and conservation," said Hermien.
Therefore, she added, the Ministry has planned to increase the central government special allocation funds in 2014 to Rp500 billion up to Rp700 billion, for environmental improvement with priority put on the provision of infrastructure for pollution prevention and ecosystem rehabilitation.***4***
(T.Y012/H-YH)
(T.Y012/A/Y012/A/H-YH) 01-04-2013 19:58:53
Reporter: Yuni Arisandy
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2013
