Officials' salaries<\/p>\n
From Pikiran Rakyat<\/p>\n
As a rural layman, a television report on Jan. 15, 2000,
\nreally caught me by surprise when it stated that the salaries of
\ngovernment officials would be raised by hundreds of times.<\/p>\n
The president will earn Rp 120 million a month, the vice
\npresident Rp 110 million, a minister Rp 47 million and a member
\nof the House of People's Representatives Rp 27 million.<\/p>\n
Reportedly, these increases have been included in the draft
\nstate budget and will come from loans from the International
\nMonetary Fund (IMF).<\/p>\n
I really cannot understand why finance minister Bambang
\nSudibyo had the heart to announce this matter to the public.
\nEverybody knows that our people are generally in great difficulty
\nas salaries have not increased while the prices of daily
\nnecessities have soared.<\/p>\n
Low-level employees in private companies earn enough to feed
\ntheir families for only 10 days. Obviously, the only thing left
\nfor the common people to do is to keep tightening their belts.<\/p>\n
In the meantime, the number of poor people keeps increasing.
\nMany of our people, without the knowledge of government
\napparatuses, may have died of starvation.<\/p>\n
On the one hand, a killing spree is going on in Maluku. On the
\nother, our minister has proudly announced a raise in the salaries
\nof government officials. This serves only to prove that
\ngovernment officials, regardless of who they are, only think
\nabout their own interests and tend to be avaricious.<\/p>\n
When President Abdurrahman Wahid announced the lineup of his
\nCabinet, finance minister Bambang Sudibyo was appointed his
\npresent position because of his honest and corruption-free
\ncharacter traits. Now that he has announced this spectacular
\nraise in the salaries of government officials, must we continue
\nto think favorably of him?<\/p>\n
It is true that the President has given his nod to this salary
\nincrease. The problem now is whether or not our ministers
\nhandling economic, financial and industrial affairs have a
\nconscience. Why can't they say \"No\" to the President about
\nmatters which may only burden the people?<\/p>\n
If they do not take the side of the people, what will then
\nbecome of this country?<\/p>\n
I -- and I believe many people will agree with me in this
\nrespect -- therefore now take the liberty to call on the
\ngovernment to postpone the realization of the plan to increase
\nthe salaries of government officials until our economy has been
\nrestored and people can again lead a decent life.<\/p>\n
Everybody knows that the common people are very poor now. Just
\nimagine that to buy a pair of shoes, which I will wear to go to
\nwork, is something I have to consider many times because I also
\nhave to consider the need to feed my family.<\/p>\n
To me, a salary of Rp 27 million a month for a House member
\n(if it is realized) is indeed extraordinary. I myself have never
\nseen such an amount of money. So, is this what we should call
\njustice and fairness? One thing to remember, House members have
\nyet to do their best.<\/p>\n
D. SUKSENTO<\/p>\n
Bandung, West Java<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/officials-salaries-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }