House allocates Rp 123b to welcome new members
House allocates Rp 123b to welcome new members
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The House of Representatives (DPR) has allocated at least Rp 123
billion (US$13 million) to welcome its 550 new members who were
elected in the April 5 legislative polls, and assume office early
in October.
The money is being spent on the construction of 51 official
residences for new lawmakers, a four-story office building, and
furnishings.
"Based on the contract, the project will be finished by Nov.
14, 2004. But the official inauguration ceremony is scheduled for
Sept. 29 or Sept.30," House Secretary-General Faisal Djamal said
here on Wednesday.
He said the four-story office building, being constructed at
the national legislative complex in Central Jakarta, would be
inaugurated by current House speaker Akbar Tandjung.
Faisal disclosed that the construction of the building would
cost the House Rp 66 billion, with an additional Rp 25 billion
going on its furnishing and the procurement of elevators from
Japan.
The House secretariat was also spending Rp 32 billion to build
51 official houses for 51 new House members in the very upmarket
Permata Mediterania estate in Ulujami, South Jakarta.
Currently, the House has 500 members including one speaker and
four deputies. All five leaders were assigned official residences
in the Widya Chandra complex for senior state officeholders in
Kuningan, Central Jakarta.
The other 495 legislators reside in the House residential
complex in Kalibata, South Jakarta. All of the current 500
members will end their five-year terms at the end of next month.
The new House will comprise 550 members elected in the April 5
legislative election, and 495 of these will reside in Kalibata.
Under the new legislation, there will be only one House speaker
and three deputies.
The four leaders will be assigned official residences at the
Widya Chandra complex, while the 51 additional members will get
new houses in Permata Mediterania.
Faisal said the official residences in Kalibata would be
cleaned up and repainted as soon as the current legislators left
the houses.
"We will also provide new furniture," he added.
The current legislators are required to leave the Kalibata
complex no later than two months after Oct. 1, when the new House
members are sworn in.
Faisal said the House secretariat would not pay gratuities to
the 500 outgoing legislators, but added that they would receive
books and certificates.
He also acknowledged that the House secretariat was
considering giving each of the retiring lawmakers a 10-gram gold
ring.