Experts says councillors don't deserve pay rise
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
City Councillors' demand for a salary increase and more benefits earned criticism from experts on Saturday, who told councillors to improve their performance before asking for a salary increase.
Urban planning expert Yayat Supriyatna of Trisakti University said on Saturday that the councillors should assess their performance first before asking for a pay rise and more facilities from the state.
According to Yayat, city councillors do not deserve an increase in their monthly salary and facilities due to their poor legislative performance.
The councillors have passed three bylaws since they were sworn in last year, despite their promise to approve at least three bylaws every month.
Aside from their poor record in legislation, current difficulties such as soaring oil prices in the international market and the weakening of the rupiah meant the request was badly timed.
"In such circumstances, I think it is also not appropriate for councillors to ask for better facilities and higher salaries," Yayat told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.
City Council Speaker Ade Surapriatna said that they would not discuss the city's 2006 budget if President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono did not revise Presidential Decree No. 24/2004 on protocol and financial matters for leaders and members of the regional councils (DPRD), which rules salaries and facilities for councillors.
Ade was asking the central government to provide official vehicles and housing allowances for councillor members, operational funds for leaders of legislative councils and better health insurances for all councillors.
Uchok Sky Khadafi of the Indonesian Forum for Budget Transparency Jakarta chapter (Fitra Jakarta) agreed with Yayat and added that councillors had earned adequate facilities and income from the state.
"Their basic salary may be small, but their total income is high enough. They can buy their own car from their own earnings," he told the Post on Saturday.
He said the councillors should think about the fate of people in the low-income bracket, who would be seriously affected by the government's plan to eliminate the fuel subsidy and not just think about their own interests.
According to Gubernatorial Decree No. 17/2005 issued as a directive for Presidential Decree No. 24/2005, Jakarta councillors receive a monthly housing allowance of Rp 20 million for leaders and Rp 15 million for members.
With a basic salary of Rp 3 million, city councillors earn between Rp 18 million and Rp 23 million per month.
Aside from their monthly income, councillors also receive a monthly stipend ranging from Rp 130,000 to Rp 326,250 for deliberating bylaws. Each councillor (leader or member) will receive a daily allowance of Rp 250,000 during official out-of- town trips.
For official visits within Jakarta, councillors will receive Rp 1 million for council speaker, Rp 900,000 for deputies and Rp 750,000 for members in transportation allowance.
Yayat also criticized the use of threats by councillors to force the government to fulfill their demands.
"I think they have used an improper approach to fight for their own rights. Threats and intimidation are usually employed by thugs, not councillors," Yayat said.