'Something untoward is going on'<\/p>\n
Critics have called the policy to disburse between Rp 15 million
\nand Rp 20 million a month each to Jakarta city councillors' in
\nhousing allowances a glaring extravagance. The Jakarta Post asked
\nresidents for their opinions about the issue.<\/p>\n
Syaifulloh, 50, is a taxi driver. He lives with his family at
\na rented home in Cililitan, East Jakarta, nearby his taxi
\nstation:<\/p>\n
Such an extravagance must be ended in this reform era. There
\nis no point to giving politicians lots of money. I don't think
\nthey are too poor to afford a home and that they deserve to
\nobtain a hefty housing allowance from the city budget.<\/p>\n
It would be much better if the allotted money was channeled to
\nthe needy.<\/p>\n
For me, such policy is simply a legacy of the New Order regime
\nwho used hefty allowances as a common instrument to tame critical
\nand outspoken city councillors.<\/p>\n
I observe that Sutiyoso's administration continues to give out
\nvarious generous allowances to the councillors to effectively
\nsilence them. No wonder corruption among the administration
\nremains rampant.<\/p>\n
Antonio, 26, is a dentist with a private company in Grogol,
\nWest Jakarta. He lives in an apartment in Cengkareng, West
\nJakarta:<\/p>\n
I think councillors deserve neither housing allowance nor
\nother allowances from taxpayers' money.<\/p>\n
This is because their performance is poor. The councillors'
\nrole, what they actually do to help tackle the manifold problems
\nin the city remains unclear to me until now. The public still
\nwitnesses a range of urban problems -- from traffic jams, damaged
\nroads, to the mounds of unprocessed garbage in the city.
\nCoucillors should show off their achievements first after dealing
\nwith such problems before asking for allowances.<\/p>\n
Executives must end the tradition of giving out allowances to
\nlegislators. Taxpayers' money should be used for other purposes,
\nwhich have greater benefit to the residents in general.<\/p>\n
It looks like something untoward is going on if the
\nadministration takes out funds from the city coffers in order to
\ngive the councillors allowances.<\/p>\n
--The Jakarta Post<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/something-untoward-is-going-on-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }