IDR700 million regional budget cut threatens trash collection operation in Bali’s Karangasem regency
Trash collection services might soon run into problems in Bali’s Karangasem regency as the local environmental agency says they’ve recently faced a IDR 700 million (US$50,000) cut to their budget.
Wayan Sandi, who heads the trash and waste collection department at Karangasem regency’s Environmental Agency (DLH), told Tribun-Bali yesterday that the budget cut might impact trash collection services during the last two months of 2019.
“We are still thinking of a solution to tackle the issue of this budget cut,” Sandi was quoted as saying.
He added that the cut could have a serious impact on the operations of his department, but did not disclose more information on how officials are planning to tackle the issue.
According to Sandi, the cut occurred after an adjustment was made to the 2019 regional budget (APBD). He explained that, at the beginning of the year, DLH Karangasem had been granted IDR 8.4 billion (US$596,200) to manage trash collection in the area.
The head of DLH Karangasem, Gde Ngurah Yudiantara, explained that the agency might end up taking funds from other areas of the budget, such as allowances for worker’s meals and travel, in order to ensure that trash collection continues on as normal.
“For now we’re still doing alright, but it might be a problem later in November and December. If we can’t overcome this issue, it will definitely impact on the city’s cleanliness and hygiene. So we’re still trying to work out a solution,” Yudiantara said.
Read more news and updates from Bali here.
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