Councillors may lose facilities

Councillors may lose facilities

TANGERANG: Upon learning that most of the former Tangerang
Council members neglected or stripped their official residences,
Mayor Wahidin Halim is mulling eliminating the facility for new
councillors.

"The councillors have their own houses... It would be more
effective if the complex was used to accommodate the
administrative staff or be converted into a sports club," he said
on Tuesday.

The Bumi Berhias housing complex in Bantar Gebang subdistrict,
Periuk district, Tangerang, comprises 45 houses for councillors
and nine for council administrative staff.

Wahidin said the administration provided each councillor Rp 1
million (US$108) in maintenance funds for the official
residences.

"Instead of repairing the houses, they used the money to pay
their utility bills," he said.

Council secretary Daryanto said none of the new councillors
had moved into the housing complex. He said the administration
did not have an extra budget to repurchase missing furniture and
telephones, worth Rp 900 million, nor did it have the Rp 1.3
billion needed to repair the houses. -- JP