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.