BADUNG: Badung regency got a new capital on Thursday after Home Minister Gamawan Fauzi officially inaugurated the regency's sprawling new administrative center and named it Mangupura. The center will serve as the regency's new capital city.

The administrative center covers 46.6 hectares and cost Rp 470 billion to build. Its development was marred by controversy over the high cost as well as the fact that it was built on land designated as the regency's green belt.

"I thought I was going to inaugurate a small building. It turns out that the size *of the administration center* is 10 times the average size of other regency administration centers in Indonesia," the minister said.

However, he said, the owners of the administration center were the people of Badung as the regent only borrows it from the people during his tenure.

"Give the public the best service," he stressed.

Badung is one of the wealthiest regions in Bali with local revenue of Rp 858 billion and an annual budget of Rp. 1.3 trillion in 2010. - JP

thejakartapost.com