Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang
Tangerang Regency council members have questioned a Rp 300 million budget proposal to conduct a census on long-tailed monkeys in the area, saying the amount is a "fabrication".
The administration has proposed an allocation of Rp 300 million from the regional budget to study the population growth of the monkeys in their habitat around the site of Syeh Mas'ad grave in Solear district.
Almost all of the regency's legislative council members have questioned the allocation.
"I think the proposal is fabricated," Anugrah, a counselor of the Prosperous Justice Party faction said, adding that the administration should have allocated the funds for the public's interest.
"But we can do nothing now, the budget proposal for the monkey census has been approved already. We don't understand how this could have slipped through our discussion. It is unbelievable," deputy speaker Arief Wahyudi said.
"I am sure such a proposal would not have been approved had we been aware of it during the discussion."
"The regency's administration allocates the funds with the intention to develop tourism in the region. The budget will be used by the regional development planning body," said Solear District Chief Surya Wijaya.
He said the administration had struggled to develop Solear as a tourist attraction, and especially as the destination of a pilgrimage that is expected to increase regional revenue.
Dahyat Tunggara, a counselor representing Solear district at the council said the census was not urgent.
He said a census on the monkey species was conducted by the Bogor Institute of Agriculture and the University of Indonesia several years ago.
"They made the study by catching the monkeys with nets. After that, the monkeys were gathered and counted one by one.
"The population of monkeys at the time was not so high. But the present population is predicted to be as high as 300," he said, adding that the cost of the census per monkey was Rp 1 million.
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