Councillors in a muddle over 'charity' plans

Councillors in a muddle over 'charity' plans

JAKARTA (JP): The plan of some councillors to donate Rp 40
million (about US$4,325) to charity attracted dozens of
interested applicants to City Council on Wednesday.

Four members of the Justice Party (PK), who had decided on the
plan, quickly left the office to avoid the crowd, a party
official said. The crowd also left after seeing the office empty.

The money is the total amount of funds received by four
councillors from executives during various official visits
throughout the year, and party members were left to respond to
questions on whether they are allowed to accept the money.

The Warta Kota daily earlier reported that the money received
by 85 councillors from their official visits amounted to Rp 1
billion for one year.

The PK members were among those who received the money, but
they said they collected the cash for charity. They planned to
give the money to the 130 employees at City Council, comprising
the cleaning staff, drivers and security personnel.

As of Wednesday the money was not donated, while party
officials said they had distributed it.

Deputy of the PK faction Muhayar R.M. said, "It is the
councillors' duty to inspect and give suggestions to the city
administration agencies (regarding their respective offices). We
never asked for any money from them."

There are currently 85 councillors from 11 factions on City
Council.

Asked why he accepted the money, Muhayar said councillors felt
it would be rude not to, but they intended to give the money to
the needy.

Muhayar appealed to his colleagues against accepting money.

"I call on every councillor to reject the money, so that we
can maintain the council's independence and improve its function
to control city agencies," he said.

Muhayar said the current city budget of 1999-2000 does not
allocate funds for councillors' domestic trips, which is
accommodated in the draft of the next fiscal year budget.

"I requested that the official domestic trips are included so
councilors do need not to accept money from executives," he said.

The earlier budget allotted funds of Rp 13 billion for
overseas trips.

The envelopes accepted for a single visit, he said, contained
money, totaling from Rp 200,000 to Rp 800,000. Visits are
irregular, he said, adding that councillors could be assigned to
four visits a month or sometimes none at all. Councillors from
Muhayar's Commission D for development affairs are among those
frequently assigned.

Muhayar assumed the funds for councillors were either taken
"from the city budget or from officials' pockets".

The allocation of funds for councillors on official visits may
be considered a "social cost" in return for their
recommendations, Muhayar said. (07)