Wed, 20 Aug 2003

Councillors proposes more allowance for clothes

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Apparently without a hint of shame, the 85 already wealthy city councillors have proposed an additional allowance for themselves of Rp 985 million (US$115,882), Rp 434.78 million will be used to buy their clothes and other "souvenirs" before their tenures end next year.

The allowance is part of the councillors' proposal for their expenses which will be increased from to Rp 118.19 billion from Rp 117.21 billion this year.

Ironically, at the same time, the council proposed a reduction of Rp 59.4 billion in expenditures for the city health agency from Rp 226.26 billion to Rp 166.92 billion which finances community health centers for 300,000 poor people.

The council's proposal in the revised city budget is currently being discussed between the administration officials and councillors.

If the budget proposal is approved in the next two weeks, each councillors would receive a total income of Rp 115 million per month (about US$ 14,000.00 per month).

With an additional clothing allowance of Rp 434.78 million, the allowance would be increased to Rp 1.2 billion from Rp 778 million which was allocated earlier this year.

Last year, the councillors received a total income of Rp 78 million per month each. The official minimum wage in the city is Rp 690,000 a month (US$ 81).

Azas Tigor Nainggolan, chairman of the Jakarta Residents' Forum (Fakta), slammed both the administration and the council which jointly proposed the additional income for themselves for failing to have any concept of the people's interests.

"If there is an allocation of the budget which only benefits the councillors or the administration, you can make the conclusion that it is very possible that there is collusion between them," Tigor told The Jakarta Post.

According to Tigor, the lack of participation by the people in deciding the budget had created the possibility for the officials in the administration and the councillors to collude in enriching themselves.

Separately, City Council Deputy Chairman Chudlary Syafi'i Hadzami defended the additional allowances, saying that was only intended to improve the councillors' welfare.

"There is nothing wrong with the additional allowance for the councillors as it is the right of councillor to get lots of new, expensive clothes," Chudlary of The United Development Party (PPP) told journalists at his office on Tuesday.

Chairwoman of Commission C for financial and budgetary affairs affairs Anna Rudhiantiana said that the additional funding allocation for the councillors was so that they could have a nice, memorable end to their terms.

"The councillors need special clothes for all the farewell parties symbolic of their time in the council," Anna of the Golkar Party told the Post on Tuesday, commenting on the Rp 5 million each per month allocated for just their clothes.

The administration and council jointly proposed an increase of Rp 597.44 billion in the current city budget which would amount to Rp 11.65 trillion from Rp 11.04 trillion this year.

Budget for City Council before revision

Items allocation ---------------------------------------------------------- 1. Salary and allowances Rp 105,426,975,000.00 2. Other allowances (travel, food) Rp 804,760,000.00 3. Permanent expense and allowance

for Council's leaders and members Rp 29,530,350,000.00 4. Other travel/attendance payment Rp 8,588,580,000.00 5. Health Rp 1,402,285,000.00 6. Clothes Rp 778,125,000.00 7. Official trips Rp 11,000,600,000.00 ----------------------------------------------------------

Total Rp 117,205,700,000.00

Source: The 2003 City Budget