Councillors proposes more allowance for clothes
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