Councillors will get brand new sedans<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): All members of the City Council will soon drive
\na new car as the city administration finally gave the green light
\non Wednesday for the request to buy the vehicles.<\/p>\n
The administration will purchase 55 Hyundai Accent GLS sedans
\nfor councillors who have not yet got an official car, Assistant
\nto the City Secretary for Administration Affairs Makmun Amin
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Currently 30 of the total of 83 councillors, already have
\nofficial cars. The first councillors to receive the cars were the
\ncity council speaker, chairman of the 11 council's factions and
\nsenior members of the five council commissions.<\/p>\n
Makmun said that the purchase of official cars for councillors
\nwas simply the realization of an agreement, which had long been
\napproved by the city administration and the City Council.<\/p>\n
The agreement could not be realized immediately due to
\nwidespread public disapproval on the project, he said.<\/p>\n
A source at the City Council who requested anonymity said
\nCouncil Speaker Edy Waluyo had sent a letter to the governor on
\nDec. 29, 2000, asking him to realize the plan on purchasing the
\nofficial cars immediately.<\/p>\n
The letter said that the purchase of official cars for
\ncouncillors was based on City Bylaw No.4\/2000 on the amendment of
\nthe 2000 city budget.<\/p>\n
According to article 12 of the Government Regulation No. 110
\non the City Council financial status, official cars are provided
\nonly for the speaker and deputies of the City Council, instead of
\nall members of the council.<\/p>\n
Asked about the two conflicting regulations, Makmun said that
\nthe City Bylaw was issued earlier than the Government Regulation.<\/p>\n
\"The City Bylaw was approved in October 2000, while the
\nGovernment Regulation was issued on November 2000.<\/p>\n
\"Nevertheless, it (the purchase of official cars) has been
\napproved,\" said Makmun.<\/p>\n
Contacted separately, Muhayat, spokesman for the City
\nAdministration, confirmed that the fund to purchase the cars has
\nbeen allocated from the development expenditure in the City
\nBudget 2000.<\/p>\n
The total fund to purchase the new cars for 55 councillors was
\nRp 5.83 billion (US$613,680), he said.<\/p>\n
\"The cars belong to the council, so it meant that the cars
\nshould be returned by the end of the council's five-year term,\"
\nhe told The Jakarta Post by phone.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile there were rumors that the city administration
\ndecided to buy new cars for councillors as a bribe so that they
\nwould approve the governor's annual accountability speech,
\nscheduled to be presented next March.<\/p>\n
\"That's not true!\" said Djafar Badjeber, the City Council's
\ndeputy speaker, denying the rumors.<\/p>\n
He said the plan to purchase the new cars had been made long
\nago during the fiscal year 2000.<\/p>\n
Another city councillor, Syamsidar Siregar of the National
\nMandate Party faction, said cars would be provided for the
\ncouncillors to support them in running their duties to serve the
\npublic.<\/p>\n
She said councillors now have a moral responsibility to
\nimprove their standards of duty as well as their function to
\ncontrol the governor's conduct.<\/p>\n
\"There is now no excuse for you to be late in attending
\ncouncil meetings,\" she pointed out as an example of the
\nconsequences of having a new car.<\/p>\n
Data obtained from www.oto.co.id stipulates that each Hyundai
\nAccent car has a street value of between Rp 105 million and Rp
\n115 million. (04\/07)<\/p>",
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