Bali Governor Says 'No Thank You' to the Offer a New Luxury Car.

Bali's governor Made Mangku Pastika and vice-governor A.A. Ngurah Puspayoga are steadfast in refusing offers of new official vehicles paid from the provincial budget for 2010.

The vice-chairman of the special committee for the State budget, Ketut Adnyana, confirmed that an allocation of Rp. 2 billion (US$222,000) each had been set aside by the island's legislature for new cars for Pastika and Puspayoga only to have the purchase of new luxury cars for their official use refused by the two men.

Adnyana explained how the governors and vice-governor's cars, when required to join official motorcades for visits by President Yudhoyono or members of the presidential cabinet, are often unable to keep up and end up being left behind.

The governor's official vehicle is a 1999 Toyota Royal Crown with a Toyota Kijang Innova for the vice-governor. Claiming both cars were too old, Adnyana lamented, "just imagine, official cars used by regents in Bali are of a much higher standard that those used by the governor and vice-governor."

The legislator related a story of how governor Pastika's car was unable to keep pace with an official motorcade bearing President Yudhoyono across Bali on an official visit. Left behind, Pastika's car arrived at a scheduled destination late, after the official entourage had already entered the building. Meanwhile, the presidential security team, suspicious of the older vehicle trying to approach the VIP location, refused entrance compelling Pastika to disembark and walk the final stretch.

Governor Pastika told the press that he wished the funds allocated for new vehicles be dedicated instead to programs more urgent to the needs of the general public, such as health and education. "I ask that (the new cars) be put in next year's budget," said Pastika.

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Governor Pastika: 110,000 Dogs Destroyed and 200,000 Vaccinated in Bali's Continuing War on Rabies.

Bali governor Made Mangku Pastika confirmed via Kompas.com that 110,000 dogs have been eliminated thus far in the island's continuing drive to stem an outbreak of rabies." In the meantime, some 200,000 dogs have been vaccinated. The total number of dogs on the island total 540,000 animals," explained the governor in a meeting with the Bali House of Representatives (DPRD-Bali) on Tuesday, August 24, 2010.

Pastika admitted that efforts to eliminate stray dogs in Bali is encountering many difficulties, including open opposition from local dog owners, who chase away those trying to euthanize free roaming dogs.

Explaining the current predicament, Pastika said: "The elimination of dogs will continue until the total number of dogs on the island reaches an ideal number. At the present time there are too many dogs, especially those allowed to run wild. That is the problem for us."

Acknowledging complaints from many international quarters regarding Bali's elimination of its excess dog population, he continued: "We must ignore these complaints. Bali has a big problem which must be resolved."

As regards the supply of anti-rabies serum, Pastika admitted the supply of serum in Bali remains limited with serum stocks often reported depleted or badly coordinated. "We have already written to the President requesting central government help. The central government has given 25,000 vials of anti-rabies serum and Bali has also gotten help from the WHO," Pastika explained.

The governor clarified that although there is a sizable allocation of money for anti-rabies serum, the Bali provincial budget is having problems bearing the financial burden. The present allocated cost of treatment for one patient with anti-rabies serum is Rp. 750,000 (US$83) for four inoculations needed to treat a dog-bite victim. But, in reality, the cost of a single dose of anti-rabies serum has reached Rp. 117,000 (US$13), while drug stores are selling a vaccine dosage for Rp. 135,000 (US$15). "We now have a strong mechanism in place to stop the buying and selling of anti-rabies serum," said Pastika.

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