Councillors insist on overseas trip

Councillors insist on overseas trip

SURABAYA: Turning a deaf ear to public criticism, 17 East Java provincial councillors said they would stick to their plan to visit a number of foreign countries.

Chairwoman of Commission E for people's welfare Harbiyah Sholahuddin said no changes had been made to the planned trip, which is scheduled to take place from Aug. 5 to Aug. 15.

"The trip will go ahead as planned in the 2002 legislative budget," she said.

Called a comparative study tour, the trip will take the councillors and their entourage to Singapore, Malaysia, the Netherlands and France. Each of them will reportedly receive Rp 20 million for spending money.

There were originally 19 commission members listed for the trip, but Budi Harijono from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle and Lutfillah Masduqi of the National Awakening Party withdrew on Monday. Both Budi and Lutfillah regarded the visit as contradicting the province's pledge to combat poverty.

Five deputy council speakers and nine senior officials of the provincial administration will accompany the commission members. -- JP