Gubernatorial meals stipend increases to Rp 1.1b<\/p>\n
Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bandung<\/p>\n
The food and beverage allowance for the West Java governor and
\ndeputy governor for fiscal year 2005 has been increased by more
\nthan 60 percent to Rp 1.138 billion (US$126,450).<\/p>\n
The budget allocated for that same purpose last year was Rp
\n701 million. The increase in the allocation has been roundly
\ncriticized by the public as well as members of the West Java
\nlegislature, which has to approve the provincial budget.<\/p>\n
The \"refreshments\" allowance allocated to Governor Danny
\nSetiawan and his deputy, Nu'man Abdul Hakim, is made up of three
\nitems -- Rp 432.5 million for daily meals and refreshments, Rp
\n296.4 million for refreshments during meetings and Rp 410.6
\nmillion for entertaining guests. The allocation for daily meals,
\nfor example, amounts to Rp 1.6 million per day if divided by 260
\nworking days per year.<\/p>\n
The daily meals allowance is equivalent to four months average
\nincome per capita as based on a survey in 2004, the average
\nmonthly income per capita in West Java was Rp 408,260, although
\nmany subsist on less than this.<\/p>\n
A Kiaracondong resident, Mimin Munaroh, 30, said that she was
\nonly given Rp 5,000 per day by her husband to feed him and her
\ntwo children. Her husband works as a school caretaker.<\/p>\n
\"It would be great to have Rp 1.6 million a day to spend. It
\nwould be enough to eat like a king, and pay for my children's
\nschool fees and our electricity bills for five years,\" she said
\nwhen asked for her opinion on the governor's meals allowance.<\/p>\n
West Java councillor Abdul Muis, from the National Awakening
\nfaction, seemed surprised when reporters showed him the details
\nof the meals budget.<\/p>\n
\"It's so disheartening when there are still nine million poor
\npeople that there can be allowances this high,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Muis, a member of the provincial legislature's Commission A on
\ngovernmental and legal affairs, deemed the budget \"irrational\"
\nand promised to immediately look into the matter via the
\nlegislature's budget committee.<\/p>\n
None of the members of the budget committee were available for
\ncomment as they were conducting comparative studies in Surabaya.<\/p>\n
Head of the household bureau at the gubernatorial office, Daud
\nAchmad, said that meals allowances were raised annually in
\naccordance with anticipated increases in inflation.<\/p>\n
The estimate was usually submitted by the household bureau to
\nthe general affairs bureau, which then forwarded it to the budget
\ncommittee. It was then discussed jointly by the provincial
\nadministration and the legislative council for subsequent
\napproval by the legislature.<\/p>\n
\"Don't get me wrong. It's not necessary to spend all the
\nmoney. It's preferable to ask for more money at the beginning of
\nthe year rather than being left without enough money near the end
\nof the year when the governor has a lot of guests to entertain,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
West Java provincial administration spokesman Yanto Subiyanto
\nsaid that the increase in the allowance was connected with the
\nAsia-Africa Conference golden jubilee ceremonies, which would be
\nheld in Bandung this year.<\/p>\n
\"Doesn't the governor have to entertain many state guests
\nduring the event? The cost will obviously be high,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Besides that, he said that the meals allowance also included
\nmeals for gardeners, municipal police personnel and kitchen staff
\nworking for the governor and deputy governor.<\/p>",
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