PETALING JAYA: MyPJ, a Petaling Jaya-based community group, is urging the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) to further engage the cityfolk in its budget preparation process by actively gathering input from them.
The group also demanded that information pertaining the local council annual budget, including the annual audited reports, expenditures reports and budget plan for the coming year be made available to the taxpayers.
MyPJ chairman, Jeffrey Phang, said that the annual budget dialogue organised by MBPJ does not serve its purpose if the local council is unwilling to share the relevant information and to take into account the needs, problems and opinions of the citizens.
"The people cannot take part effectively in the dialogue if they were kept in the dark when it comes to relevant information about annual budget.
"A proper budget preparation process should also start off with input from the people (who are) the taxpayers.
"The councillors should be the ones who gather the input from the people through the Resident Representative Council (MPP) which will later be presented to local council," he told reporters at a meeting here today.
Jeffrey added that many of the councillors have failed to fulfil their responsibility in gathering input from the people in their respective areas for the budget preparation process.
Jeffrey also said that MBPJ have failed to ensure its 2015 and 2016 reports were made available on its website.
"It seems that the local council is gradually becoming less transparent in its budget preparation process," he said.
Jeffry said MyPJ which comprises community activists, residents' associations and non-governmental organisations, also wish to propose some input for the MBPJ 2018 budget preparation, including extending the free bins programme to landed commercial owners in view that commercial areas face more serious garbage issues.
MyPJ’s input also included suggestions for the local council to build new food courts and wet markets while the existing ones be given major makeovers with allocation of RM3 million for each wet market and RM1 million each for food court makeovers. In addition, MyPJ also proposed that the local council increases its budget allocation for garbage collection for both public and private low-cost flats.