Jakarta councillors receive higher pay

Jakarta councillors receive higher pay

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

While the effects of the fuel price rises have meant belt-
tightening for many Jakartans, starting this month each city
councillor will receive a monthly income of no less than Rp 50
million (some US$5,000).

The amount is double last month's salary of Rp 25 million and
much higher than the Rp 35 million received by each member of the
House of Representatives.

The new policy is stipulated in Gubernatorial Regulation No.
114/2005 on City Council financing issued on Sept. 30, replacing
regulation No. 17/2005. The revision was made after the
councillors threatened not to deliberate the proposed 2006 city
budget if their welfare was not improved.

Governor Sutiyoso argued that the increase was aimed at
"encouraging councillors to concentrate on their jobs and refrain
from involvement in corruption".

Council speaker Ade Surapriatna welcomed the pay rise, saying
it was just an adjustment to the increased cost of living after
the fuel price increases.

"If it is demanded that we work professionally, we must be
given enough incentive to carry out our jobs."

Usually a critic of the council's performance, the Prosperous
Justice Party (PKS) faction accepted the increase, saying that
part of it would be distributed to the constituents.

"It's our internal regulation that 50 percent of our take-home
pay is cut for our party," said councillor Nurmansjah Lubis.

The regulation specifies each councillor is entitled to
receive an incentive for attending a public hearing, meeting or
making an official city visit of Rp 2 million for the speaker, Rp
1.75 million for the deputy speaker and Rp 1.5 million for a
councillor.

A councillor, who requested anonymity, admitted he would get
at least Rp 36 million for working 24 days a month from
incentives alone.

Previously it was Rp 600,000 for the speaker, Rp 500,000 for
each deputy speaker and Rp 450,000 for each member.

During recesses, each councillor may set up an organizing
committee to meet up to 100 constituents, whose accommodation is
financed from the city budget.

Meanwhile, for trips out of town, the speaker will get an
allowance of Rp 3 million per day, deputy speakers Rp 2.5 million
and each member Rp 2 million. For overseas trips, the council
leaders receive an allowance of $200 per day, while members are
entitled to $150.

The Sutiyoso administration had earlier provided a monthly
housing allowance of Rp 20 million for Council leaders and Rp 15
million for members, despite the fact that most of them live in
their own houses.

Those incentives are not included on the list of the 75
councillors' incentives as stated in Article 2 of the new
regulation. The list does include representative money and other
allowances as members of council commissions or committees. Each
councillor can be a member of more than one organization.