Agung defends controversial budget for overseas travel

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

House of Representatives Speaker Agung Laksono defended on Wednesday plans to jack up state budget allocations next year for financing overseas travel for lawmakers, despite the current weak financial state of the government and mounting criticism over the effectiveness of such trips.

He was quick to add, however, that there would be a more selective process for trips and comparative studies overseas in the future.

Agung said that overseas trips were necessary for legislators to boost their lawmaking expertise and function to keep up with their working partners in the executive.

"Of course, trips for attending parliamentary events cannot be ruled out, such as the International Parliamentary Union or the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organization," he said.

Agung said he would consult with the House's inter- parliamentary body to elaborate on planned overseas travel and, if possible, to minimize the budget for overseas travel.

The House's ways and means committee has earmarked Rp 32.4 billion (US$3.34 million) for legislators' overseas travel in 2006, up 100 percent from the Rp 14.06 billion in 2005 and Rp 14.1 billion in 2004.

The request is contained in a 2006 budget draft proposal, which also includes a request to increase allowances for all 550 House members.

The latest proposal will be discussed by the House budgetary committee before being submitted later to the Ministry of Finance.

Budgetary committee member Djoko Susilo said he was of the opinion that many overseas trips could be cut if the objectives of such trips could be achieved through less expensive means.

"I've proven there are less expensive ways to achieve objectives, such as exchanging expertise or opinions with other legislature members, or to compare works," he said.

Djoko said many international civil organizations, such as UNESCO, were willing to facilitate meetings between members of parliament.

"It's much less expensive to read books in libraries or browse through the Internet. We can invite experts and I'm sure many are willing to share their expertise without us having to go to far away countries," said Djoko, an outspoken legislator from the National Mandate Party (PAN).

He said he would oppose the planned increases.

The House has been a target of criticism once again after two of its bodies went ahead with their plans to visit foreign countries for "comparative studies", which would cost billions of rupiah.

Members of the House's legislative body plan to visit the United States and France, while the ways and means committee plans to go to Thailand and South Korea.

Observers have said that most of these trips in the past have not yielded concrete results, let alone increased legislators' expertise and skill in representing the people.

The request, they said, could not have come at a more inappropriate moment since the country was struggling to cope with ballooning fuel subsidies and widespread health problems.

Results of domestic and overseas trips are usually reported during House plenary sessions.