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Government Regulation No. 110/2000 on the council's financial affairs, which limited councillors' incomes, had earlier been revoked as it contradicted the autonomy law.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