Agung defends controversial budget for overseas travel

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.