A time for belt tightening

A time for belt tightening

From Kompas

One thousand members of the House of Representatives (DPR) and People's Consultative Council (MPR) will be inducted on Oct. 1. They will convene in a general assembly in March 1998.

I have been working at the DPR secretariat general for the past 35 years. For as long as I can recall, the DPR and MPR members have always stayed at luxurious hotels in Jakarta for the induction ceremony.

I would like to suggest to all those concerned -- the general election institute (LPU), MPR, DPR, National Planning and Development Board (Bappenas) -- that members who are Jakarta residents should not be accommodated in hotels. They number in the hundreds and we can save billions of rupiah in hotel bills alone.

I am sure that the DPR and MPR members living in Jakarta will not object to sleeping in their own homes and will arrive on time for the sessions at the DPR and MPR.

We ask our representatives not to spoil themselves. If the people can live austerely, why cannot their representatives do the same?

This proposal is in line with the government's current talk about economizing and tightening our belts.

TAMAN SGK

Jakarta