Big bonus for councillors not proper, observers say
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Elected city councillors are displaying insensitivity during hard times, urban observers have said, citing a new gubernatorial ruling approving a double or even triple increase in councillors' incomes.
Jakarta's Indonesian Forum for Budget Transparency (Fitra) chairman Arif Nur Alam said Governor Sutiyoso's decision to increase the income of the 75 councillors would affront poor families, who were feeling the impact of the recent fuel price increases.
"Neither the governor nor councillors are sensitive to the situation. They waste taxpayers' money for their own interests while many Jakartans are tightening their belts," Arif told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.
Arif was commenting on Gubernatorial Regulation No. 114/2005 on City Council financing, which doubles or even triples councillors' monthly salaries from the previous Rp 25 million (US$2,500).
The regulation also says that each councillor is entitled to an allowance for attending a public hearing, meeting or making an official city visit. The speaker's allowance per session or visit is Rp 2 million, deputy speaker Rp 1.75 million and councillor Rp 1.5 million.
A councillor, who requested anonymity, said that each councillor could conduct up to 50 such activities in one month, meaning that a councillor could receive Rp 75 million from incentives alone.
Councillors also receive housing allowances -- Rp 20 million for the four council leaders and Rp 15 million for the 71 other councillors -- plus other allowances depending on their positions on council commissions and committees.
One councillor can be a member of more than one commission or committee.
Jakarta Residents Forum (Fakta) chairman Azas Tigor Nainggolan said that, "The governor is trying to make the councillors less critical with all of those facilities.
"Unfortunately," he added, "councillors are also happy with his game." Tigor said the Ministry of Home Affairs should annul the gubernatorial regulation.
"With his regulation, Sutiyoso has legalized corruption because councillors can take taxpayers' money so easily. They have been trapped into his game," he said on Saturday.
Arif expressed disappointment that the councillors, who were elected through a democratic election, had forgot their pledge to fight for the public's interests.
"Initially, I hoped that councillors from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) would be sensitive to the situation and reject the extraordinary facilities because the party has always championed 'cleaner and more sensitive'," he added.
He expressed pessimism that councillors would be able to control the city administration's performance.
Therefore, Arif added, non-governmental organizations and other members of society should be more critical so that the city administration uses taxpayers' money properly.
Tigor also said that the gubernatorial regulation was not in line with the policy of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who has stated that state officials should live modestly.