Councillors in a muddle over 'charity' plans<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The plan of some councillors to donate Rp 40
\nmillion (about US$4,325) to charity attracted dozens of
\ninterested applicants to City Council on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Four members of the Justice Party (PK), who had decided on the
\nplan, quickly left the office to avoid the crowd, a party
\nofficial said. The crowd also left after seeing the office empty.<\/p>\n
The money is the total amount of funds received by four
\ncouncillors from executives during various official visits
\nthroughout the year, and party members were left to respond to
\nquestions on whether they are allowed to accept the money.<\/p>\n
The Warta Kota daily earlier reported that the money received
\nby 85 councillors from their official visits amounted to Rp 1
\nbillion for one year.<\/p>\n
The PK members were among those who received the money, but
\nthey said they collected the cash for charity. They planned to
\ngive the money to the 130 employees at City Council, comprising
\nthe cleaning staff, drivers and security personnel.<\/p>\n
As of Wednesday the money was not donated, while party
\nofficials said they had distributed it.<\/p>\n
Deputy of the PK faction Muhayar R.M. said, \"It is the
\ncouncillors' duty to inspect and give suggestions to the city
\nadministration agencies (regarding their respective offices). We
\nnever asked for any money from them.\"<\/p>\n
There are currently 85 councillors from 11 factions on City
\nCouncil.<\/p>\n
Asked why he accepted the money, Muhayar said councillors felt
\nit would be rude not to, but they intended to give the money to
\nthe needy.<\/p>\n
Muhayar appealed to his colleagues against accepting money.<\/p>\n
\"I call on every councillor to reject the money, so that we
\ncan maintain the council's independence and improve its function
\nto control city agencies,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Muhayar said the current city budget of 1999-2000 does not
\nallocate funds for councillors' domestic trips, which is
\naccommodated in the draft of the next fiscal year budget.<\/p>\n
\"I requested that the official domestic trips are included so
\ncouncilors do need not to accept money from executives,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The earlier budget allotted funds of Rp 13 billion for
\noverseas trips.<\/p>\n
The envelopes accepted for a single visit, he said, contained
\nmoney, totaling from Rp 200,000 to Rp 800,000. Visits are
\nirregular, he said, adding that councillors could be assigned to
\nfour visits a month or sometimes none at all. Councillors from
\nMuhayar's Commission D for development affairs are among those
\nfrequently assigned.<\/p>\n
Muhayar assumed the funds for councillors were either taken
\n\"from the city budget or from officials' pockets\".<\/p>\n
The allocation of funds for councillors on official visits may
\nbe considered a \"social cost\" in return for their
\nrecommendations, Muhayar said. (07)<\/p>",
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