Regental councillors demand additional salary<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Regental legislative councils (DPRDs) from around the country are
\ndemanding an extra month's salary for their members after the
\ngovernment approved a similar request from their counterparts at
\nthe national level.<\/p>\n
Boking Hasan, a deputy speaker of the Ponorogo legislative
\ncouncil in East Java, said it was unfair for the government to
\ndeny local councillors a "13th salary", while approving it for
\nHouse of Representatives members.<\/p>\n
"Why are we denied the chance to enjoy the 13th salary? We
\nalso represent the people," said Hasan, to the thunderous
\napplause of some 350 local legislators who attended a national
\nmeeting of the Association of Indonesian Regental DPRDs (Adkasi)
\non Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Late last month, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono signed a
\ngovernment regulation authorizing the payment of an extra month's
\nsalary for civil servants, including military and police
\npersonnel, government officials, retirees and veterans. The total
\namount allocated for the payments was Rp 7.6 trillion.<\/p>\n
House members, who are categorized as state officials in the
\nregulation, also received the extra month's salary, paid on July
\n1, like other officials.<\/p>\n
However, the extra month's salary for legislators was strongly
\ncriticized by several House members, particularly those from the
\nProsperous Justice Party (PKS) and the National Mandate Party
\n(PAN).<\/p>\n
They have said the extra payment for legislators was
\nunnecessary and excessive in light of the vast number of people
\nliving under the poverty line.<\/p>\n
Other House leaders, meanwhile, have said they would donate
\ntheir extra month's salary to various charities out of respect
\nfor their constituents, mostly poor people.<\/p>\n
Support for the demand for an extra month's salary came from
\nanother Adkasi member, Suriyanto, who is a deputy speaker of the
\nRembang legislative council in Central Java.<\/p>\n
He said that fellow legislators at the district level across
\nthe country agreed that they deserved to be paid an extra month's
\nsalary every year.<\/p>\n
Local legislators work just as hard as their counterparts in
\nthe House and are thus entitled to the same benefit, Suriyanto
\nargued.<\/p>\n
"We are clearly being discriminated against," he said. "We
\nwill not beg for an extra month's salary. However, at the same
\ntime we will keep trying to get what is our right."<\/p>\n
Chalidin Munthe, who chairs the Aceh Singkil legislative body
\nin Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam province, said that if officials in
\nexecutive bodies, including regents and their deputies, received
\nan extra salary, then councillors should get one too.<\/p>\n
"It's would not be ethical to deny us an extra salary, since
\nwe are supposed to be equal partners with the regents," he said.
\n"It would make us less credible in their eyes." (002)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/regental-councillors-demand-additional-salary-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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