Lawmakers get cashed up<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
In spite of the public uproar, the government has disbursed Rp 10
\nmillion (US$1,030) in monthly operational allowances for each of
\n550 House of Representatives lawmakers, Antara has reported.<\/p>\n
The allowances, which community watch organizations claim
\nwould not be accounted for, were ostensibly aimed at facilitating
\nbetter communications between legislators and their constituents.<\/p>\n
Deputy House secretary-general Ayu Darsini said on Tuesday the
\nallowance was effective as of July, therefore each lawmaker was
\npaid backdated allowances of Rp 60 million.<\/p>\n
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle legislator Hasto
\nKristyanto said the allowance was transferred to his bank account
\non Dec. 9.<\/p>\n
Darsini said legislators were free to spend the allowance
\non any activity to support their relationship with their
\nconstituents.<\/p>\n
The allowance was previously Rp 4 million per month, until the
\nincrease was approved during the deliberation of the state budget
\nrevision in October.<\/p>\n
Hasto said it would be his party that would decide on how the
\nallowance would be used.<\/p>\n
Each House member earns Rp 51.8 million in take-home pay per
\nmonth, in accordance with the revised state budget, a sharp
\nincrease on the Rp 28.3 million they received previously.<\/p>\n
The provision of operational allowances raised debate even
\namong lawmakers. Islam-based Prosperous Justice Party legislators
\nhave said that they would not accept the money, while National
\nMandate Party chairman Soetrisno Bachir threatened to recall any
\nparty legislator who accepted the allowance.<\/p>\n
The increase in lawmakers' pay comes amid the unabated
\nfinancial crisis that has caused the number of people living in
\npoverty to rise.<\/p>\n
Critics have said the House members were not entitled to
\nhigher salaries, citing their poor performance. Legislators have
\nfailed to articulate people's aspirations, and have been
\nsingularly unproductive, with only a handful of bills being
\npassed through the legislature since they took office over a year
\nago, leaving a large number of very urgent bills languishing.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, presidential spokesman Andi Mallarangeng said there
\nwould be no increase in the salary of either the President or
\nVice President.<\/p>\n
\"Indeed, there was a proposal from the state minister of
\nadministrative reforms to raise the President's salary by 5
\npercent, but its likely it will be turned down,\" Andi said.<\/p>\n
According to the law, the President is entitled to a salary
\namounting to four times the salary of the highest-paid state
\nofficial.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/lawmakers-get-cashed-up-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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