Bylaw on financial principles approved

JAKARTA: The city council had approved on Thursday a bylaw on city financial principles, which stipulate, among other things, allowances and facilities to be received by city officials and councillors.

The council chairman and his deputies, according to article 36 of the bylaw, will receive official houses and cars while the council members will receive only official cars.

The official cars had been approved in this year's budget but they had sparked controversy as the fund to buy them was derived from the budget for buying garbage trucks that had never been approved in any bylaw.

The bylaw on financial principles would be used for the legal arrangement of the 2001 city budget which was expected to be approved on Jan. 31.

Council deputy chairman Djafar Badjeber said that all council members should receive official houses like their fellow councillors from West Java.

"We have planned the official houses, but we canceled it since it was protested by the public," said Djafar of the United Development Party (PPP). --JP