ARMY READY TO ADJUST EXPENDITURES TO 10-PCT BUDGET CUT

Bandung, W Java, Oct 17 (ANTARA) - Army Chief of Staff Gen Agustadi Sasangko Purnomo said the Army was ready to accept a 10-percent cut in its State Budget allocation as a consequence of the government's policy to use state budget funds more effeciently.
"As a consequence of the 10-percent cut in the State Budget allocations for development or procurement of military hardware, we must apply a priority scale to the use of budget funds," he told reporters following a function marking the transfer of duties of the commander of the Army's education and training center (Kodiklatad) from Lt Gen Bambang Darmono to Maj Gen Syaiful Rizal here on Friday.
Agustadi said to draw up its scale of spending priorities the Army would review its development and expenditures plan for the next one year. "We have to decide what has to be slashsed because of the 10-percent cut to our budget of about Rp16 trillion."
Maj Gen Syaiful Rizal was formerly assistant for operations to the Army Chief of Staff.
Lt Gen Bambang Darmono would be transferred to the position of secretary general of the National Resilience Council (Wantannas).