Councillors ask for Rp 500m in holiday bonuses<\/p>\n
Oyos Saroso H.N., The Jakarta Post\/Bandarlampung<\/p>\n
Bandarlampung councillors are proposing that the local government
\npay them Idul Fitri bonuses amounting to Rp 500 million
\n(US$55,500) to be divided evenly among 45 councillors.<\/p>\n
The proposal was made during a plenary meeting between
\nBandarlampung council and Bandarlampung Mayor Suharto on Friday
\nlast week.<\/p>\n
Some councillors claimed that Idul Fitri bonuses were
\ntraditionally given to councillors and this year should be no
\nexception.<\/p>\n
Abdullah Fadri Auli from the National Mandate Party (PAN)
\nfraction said the bonuses were important to strengthening ties
\nbetween the executive and the legislative branches of government.<\/p>\n
One councillor who declined to be named acknowledged that the
\nproposal was sensitive, especially since councillors, regents and
\nmayors nationwide had been charged with abusing regental or
\nmunicipal budgets.<\/p>\n
But the mayor could win the favor of councillors without
\nnecessarily being sent to jail, said the councillor, in that the
\nmoney could come from sources other than the 2004 municipal
\nbudget.<\/p>\n
\"The mayor could take money from non-budget funds at several
\ngovernment agencies in the municipality,\" the councillor
\nsuggested.<\/p>\n
Councillor Made Bagiasa of the Golkar Party supported the
\nbonus proposal, saying it was reasonable as long as no strings
\nwere attached. \"The bonuses cannot be regarded as bribes as they
\nare not legally binding,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He pointed out that the Lampung legislative council paid its
\ncouncillors Idul Fitri bonuses.<\/p>\n
\"Besides a bonus from the Lampung government, councillors get
\na bonus from the Lampung governor every Idul Fitri. Each member
\nusually gets Rp 2 million,\" said Bagiasa.<\/p>\n
However, other Bandarlampung municipal councillors have said
\nthe proposal is inappropriate.<\/p>\n
\"Councillors are on a par with the mayor and it is therefore
\ninappropriate to ask him for money,\" said Mansyur, a Golkar
\ncouncillor. He suggested that the annual practice be stopped.<\/p>\n
Besides councillors, heads of government agencies have also
\ncriticized the proposal.<\/p>\n
\"It would be difficult for us to acquire the funds for
\ncouncillors' bonuses. Our agency's budget is spent on routine and
\ndevelopment expenditures. Where would we get the money? Should we
\nrevert to corruption?\" asked Edi Suryadi, head of the Lampung
\nForestry Office.<\/p>\n
He said his office was burdened with bonus proposals every
\nyear prior to Idul Fitri, including from various organizations as
\nwell as journalists.<\/p>\n
\"Hundreds of reporters' names have been submitted, all asking
\nfor money for Idul Fitri,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said it would be less of a strain on his agency's budget if
\nthe bonus proposal for councillors were to be rejected.<\/p>",
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