Budget for militia

On Dec. 23, 1998, the media printed an announcement by Information Minister Muhammad Yunus that for a militia of 40,000 men, a budget of Rp 300 billion has been reserved. On average, the cost will be Rp 7,500,000 per head.

This amount includes costs for the initial selection in January 1999 and training from February to April. In May 1999 the "civilian troops" will be ready for operations.

If the training period requires the highest cost compared to the initial selection and the inauguration, the training will cost Rp 1,750,000 to Rp 2,000,000 per head per month.

In this era of openness and economic turmoil, also considering that many people are in doubt about the necessity of the militia, the House of Representatives should immediately ask for a complete and detailed explanation from the government in order to assess whether the budget should be allocated. In my opinion, the cost is relatively high because the militia can be recruited among local people.

I hope this suggestion will receive a positive response from the related agencies.

WISDARMANTO G.S.

Bogor, West Java