Home is where the money is for Jakarta councillors

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Political observers questioned on Friday Governor Sutiyoso's motives in granting Rp 15 million (US$1,620) monthly housing allowances to each of 71 city council members, and Rp 20 million allowances for city leaders, arguing that they did not deserve such generous facilities due to their poor performance.

Yayat Supriatna of Trisakti University said there were many more urgent issues that the city administration should resolve before concerning itself with housing allowances for councillors.

"The councillors ought to be ashamed to accept such an allowance, especially as they have not been able to get the administration to provide free education and health services for the poor," Yayat told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

Money allocated for housing city councillors, according to Yayat, ought to be used to improve sanitation in slum areas where around three million residents are living, keeping in mind also that most councillors already have houses in the capital.

Sutiyoso has set the monthly housing allowance for city councillors at Rp 15 million for members and Rp 20 million for leaders. Councillors had requested Rp 12.5 million.

The housing allowance effectively triples the income of city councillors to over Rp 20 million per month.

Payments of housing allowances to councillors is stipulated in Government Regulation No. 24/2004 on protocol and financial matters for leaders and members of regional councils (DPRDs).

The regulation states that regional administrations may provide housing allowances for regional councillors if they can afford it.

Yayat demanded that the central government revise the rule as such a facility was inappropriate for councillors in the city, as their houses were not far from their offices.

A similar comment came from the coordinator of the Indonesian Forum for Budget Transparency (Fitra), Arif Nur Alam, who said city councillors did not deserve such facilities.

"What have they done for the people? We often read in newspapers that they often come late to Council's seasons," he told the Post.

He said the Council's demand for such allowances indicated that they were out of touch with the problems being experienced by the majority of Jakarta's people, who endure sometimes-severe economic hardship.

Arif also warned that councillors might face legal problems if they used the housing allowance for any other purpose.

"I think most of them already have houses. Therefore, such councillors may not use the housing allowance for renting houses. Meanwhile, each councillor (using the allowance) must be able to show rental receipts," said Arif.

According to Arif, the housing allowance may cause city legislators to be less critical against irregularities taking place in the city administration. "It is a kind of institutional collusion between the administration and the Council," he said.

According to the gubernatorial decree, councillors will also receive various other allowances including for foreign and domestic travel, functions, representation, family, and gifts.

They will also receive allowances for their respective positions in Council's institutions like commissions, and budgetary, ethics and inquiry committees.

The city also provides "incentives" for councillors to pass bylaws.