Councillors stand to get Rp 90m a month

Councillors stand to get Rp 90m a month

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

If the 2003 draft budget is approved by the Jakarta City Council,
the 85 councillors will each receive a monthly income of about Rp
90 million (US$10,000).

Anna Rudhiantina, the chairwoman of the council's budget
committee, confirmed on Wednesday that the draft budget allocated
Rp 91.6 billion for the payment of councillors, including Rp 42.3
billion for stipends and councillors' transportation allowances.

"It's the budget allocation agreed on by the councillors and
the city administration," Anna told reporters after a budget
meeting with administration officials at the council building.

She claimed that the draft budget, including the Rp 91.6
million estimate, came within the council's powers under Law No.
22/1999 on regional autonomy.

She said Government Regulation No. 110/2000 on the council's
financial affairs, which limited councillors' incomes, had
earlier been revoked as it contradicted the autonomy law.

"So the amount of the allocation in the budget depends on the
council and the administration," said Anna, who is a member of
the Golkar Party faction.

If the budget is approved by the end of this month without
being amended, each councillor will receive a monthly gross
income of Rp 90 million, including a monthly salary of Rp 41.1
million.

The figure of Rp 91.6 billion also includes provision for
councillors' welfare allowances of Rp 14 billion, attendance
allowances of Rp 1.4 billion, travel allowances of Rp 5 billion
and clothing allowances of Rp 1.2 billion.

According to Government Regulation No. 110/2000, a
councillor's monthly salary should be about Rp 3 million and his
allowances amount to about Rp 6 million.

Meanwhile, a financial assistant to the City Secretary, Makmun
Amin, claimed that the administration could not refuse the
council's demand for a budget allocation of Rp 91.6 billion.

"If we reject their demands, the whole draft budget will be
rejected by the council," Makmun told reporters after the
meeting.

Many observers believe that the administration will agree to
the council's proposal as it wants its own budget proposals to be
approved.

Critics have deplored the Rp 91.6 billion estimate for the
councillors and Rp 9 billion estimate for Governor Sutiyoso,
especially given that the budget only allocates Rp 26 billion for
poverty alleviation programs designed to help the 1.2 million
poor people here.