Govt will not cut officials' salaries<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government will not cut the salaries of its
\ntop officials including ministers and other civil servants as
\npart of austerity measures to cope with the currency crisis, a
\nminister said yesterday.<\/p>\n
\"Each country, each government has its own way of expressing
\ntheir concern. When the needs and the salaries (of the country's
\ncivil servants and ministers) are compared with our neighbors'
\nofficials, our salary is lower than theirs,\" Minister\/State
\nSecretary Moerdiono said after meeting with President Soeharto at
\nhis residence on Jl. Cendana, Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Reports that crisis-hit Thai and Malaysian governments were
\ncutting the salaries of senior officials as part of their
\nausterity measures, triggered debate here on whether Indonesia
\nshould follow suit. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad had
\nreportedly decided to cut his monthly salary.<\/p>\n
\"I am willing to have my salary reduced by 20 percent,\" Vice
\nSpeaker of the House of Representatives (DPR) Lt. Gen. Syarwan
\nHamid said Thursday.<\/p>\n
He said government officials should set an example and make a
\nsacrifice to help the country resolve the crisis.<\/p>\n
The rupiah has depreciated about 50 percent against the U.S.
\ndollar since the devaluation of the Thai baht on July 2.<\/p>\n
\"Of course, government officials are expected to consider
\neconomizing and frugality. If necessary, they should not hold
\ngatherings or ceremonies which need much money,\" Moerdiono said.<\/p>\n
Moerdiono did not mention a possible reduction of the salaries
\nof the President and Vice President.<\/p>\n
The 1993 decree of the directorate general for budgetary
\naffairs of the Ministry of Finance stipulated an increase in the
\nsalary of the country's highest ranking officials, including the
\nPresident and Vice President, by an average 203 percent.<\/p>\n
According to the decree, the salaries of the President and
\nVice President were raised from Rp 4.95 million and Rp 3.3
\nmillion to Rp 15 million and Rp 10 million respectively.<\/p>\n
Ministers, the Attorney General, the governor of Bank
\nIndonesia, the Armed Forces commander, the House speaker,
\nchairman of the Supreme Audit Board and chief justice receive Rp
\n2.5 million. During the 1988\/1993 term they received Rp 825,000.<\/p>\n
There was no data on any other salary hike since 1993.<\/p>\n
\"A salary cut will not be able to resolve the monetary crisis.
\nEven if the salaries of the first echelon were cut by 30 percent
\nthe amount would be very small and would not be able to resolve
\nthe crisis,\" State Minister of Administrative Reforms, who
\noversees civil servant affairs, T.B. Silalahi, said yesterday.<\/p>\n
Silalahi said there was no need to follow Malaysia and
\nThailand because Indonesia's situation was different.<\/p>\n
\"The salary of civil servants in Malaysia and Thailand are
\nbetter than ours,\" said Silalahi.<\/p>\n
Leading economist Laksmana Sukardi proposed Thursday that the
\ngovernment cut the salaries of ministers and director generals by
\n50 percent \"to make them realize how grave the economic situation
\nwas\".<\/p>\n
In a discussion organized by the Paramadina Foundation,
\nLaksamana said he resented what he perceived to be a lack of
\nsense of crisis among top government officials.<\/p>\n
Moslem intellectual Moeslim Abdurrahman suggested that the
\nwages of the members of the House of Representatives also be cut
\nby half.<\/p>\n
Moeslim, however, said he doubted that such a measure would be
\neffective. He said the officials might not object to the pay cut
\nbut it would not be enough, they should also stop wasteful habits
\nsuch as going on shopping sprees abroad.<\/p>\n
\"To be honest, we are a culturally corrupt people. We don't
\nhave the slightest sense of shame anymore,\" said Moeslim.
\n(prb\/hbk)<\/p>",
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