House under pressure to end closed budget discussions<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Pressure continued on Friday for the House of Representatives to
\nopen their meetings on the state budget to ensure transparency,
\nin the wake of allegations of state funds being "traded" between
\nlegislators and local officials.<\/p>\n
The deputy speaker of the Regional Representatives Council, La
\nOde Ida, said institutions such as the House and ministries took
\nadvantage of the fact that budget talks were not open to the
\npublic to engage in conspiracy and the sale of the budget.<\/p>\n
"It is the system, be it at the House or at the Ministry of
\nFinance, which limits information to a few people. This paves the
\nway for some people to perform so-called 'bridging' tasks between
\nthe central and local administrations," he said.<\/p>\n
La Ode was commenting on the recent scandal involving the
\nstate budget, including the sale of postdisaster relief funds,
\nallegedly involving House budgetary committee members who asked
\nfor bribes from local officials to help disburse or increase
\nallotted funds for their regions.<\/p>\n
Local officials, said La Ode, unfortunately get caught up in
\nthe system, offering bribes and later embezzling the funds.<\/p>\n
"We cannot blame just the House for this practice. We also
\nhave the institutions in Jakarta and local officials themselves,"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
La Ode said he was told by a local official that he had once
\nbeen asked by a current House member to pay a 10 percent fee for
\nthe disbursement of funds.<\/p>\n
"I call on all officials to report such cases to the
\nauthorities. Let us use this to push the central institutions to
\nbe transparent, although I personally doubt that many will
\n(report the cases) because they are also involved in embezzling
\nfunds," he said.<\/p>\n
Those areas approached by House members or brokers, said La
\nOde, usually had limited local funds but relatively good networks
\nof businesspeople.<\/p>\n
Legislator Suryama M. Sastra shared La Ode's view, and
\nsubmitted on Friday to the House leadership a proposal to amend
\nthe House regulations to open as many meetings as possible to the
\npublic.<\/p>\n
"The House must immediately take substantial steps that
\ndemonstrate its will to minimize abuses in deliberating the state
\nbudget. It is imperative that the House makes sure that all
\nbudget talks are open to the public," he said.<\/p>\n
The House legislative body is currently deliberating whether
\nit will review its regulations concerning opening meetings to the
\npublic.<\/p>\n
According to current regulations, all meetings or sessions by
\nthe House budgetary committee are open to the public unless
\ndeclared closed. But the fact is that the meetings are always
\nclosed.<\/p>\n
"In addition, there must never be any official meetings
\nbetween the House and outsiders held outside the House building.
\nThere must be no more backroom deals," said Suryama.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/house-under-pressure-to-end-closed-budget-discussions-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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