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)