TRANSPORTATION MINISTRY TO PROPOSE ADDITIONAL BUDGET

Jakarta, Feb 1 (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Transportation will propose an additional budget amounting to Rp12 trillion in the revised 2010 state budget, a minister said.

"We will submit the proposal in March this year," Transportation Minister Freddy Numberi said here on Monday.

On the occasion the minister presented 130 public buses to a number of regional governments in various parts of the country.

He said that the additional budget would be used to build train, sea, land and air transportation infrastructures in a number of regions.

"The government has the obligation to guarantee that islands in Indonesia must be served with enough transportation means so that economic growth would be balanced," Numberi said.

He stressed however that the assistance would serve as a stimulus in nature from the central government and needed support from other parties.

"For example, it is impossible for developing a transit system in one region without the region concerned providing feeder buses," the minister added.

In the meantime, Land Transportation Director General Suroyo Alimoeso in his comment on the presentation of the buses to district heads and mayors, said he supported the national policy and strategy in developing urban transportation system.

"This is to support the pro-public transportation policy," he said.

Suroyo said that the 139 buses were procured with funds taken from the 2009 state budget.