Lampung activists query regent's salaries plan
Oyos Saroso H.N., The Jakarta Post/Bandarlampung
Activists in Lampung have strongly objected to a planned salary scheme for the regent and vice regent of North Lampung regency, as proposed in the 2005 regental budget.
The proposed salaries would give the North Lampung regent an annual basic salary of Rp 1.286 billion (US$139,000), or Rp 107 million per month, and the vice regent Rp 773 million, or Rp 64.4 million.
Executive director of the Lampung Anticorruption Committee (Koak), Maya Ferlianti, said that the salary proposal, already filed at the North Lampung regental council, would almost certainly be approved because the council always simply rubber stamped such matters.
The excessive salary, said Maya, demonstrated that the North Lampung executive and legislature had no sense of proportion. North Lampung is a poor regency, with local annual revenue (PAD) of only Rp 8.5 billion annually.
The proposed salary was also disproportionate, being much higher compared to other regents in the province. On average, regents in Lampung province receive monthly salaries of tens of millions of rupiah.
"The amount is also dramatically in contrast with the North Lampung Minimum Wage (UMP) that is only Rp 320,000 per month. It's an affront if the regent's salary reaches hundreds of millions of rupiah per month," said Maya in Bandarlampung on Thursday.
Not included in the salary are numerous allowances such as for official trips, maintenance and miscellaneous services. The regent will receive a medical allowance of Rp 3.125 million per month, and annual allowances of Rp 19.21 million for food and beverages, and Rp 65 million for clothing.
The regent will also receive monthly allowances of Rp 18.75 million for official trips and Rp 55.29 million for house upkeep, besides an auxiliary allowance for official house functions of Rp 17 million managed by the general affairs department of the regental secretariat.
The vice regent will receive a medical allowance of Rp 1.63 million per month, an annual allowance of Rp 30 million for clothing, Rp 6.67 million a month for food and beverage, Rp 15 million per month for official trips, and Rp 37.5 million per month for household affairs and maintenance.
All in all, the salaries of the regent and vice regent will together account for 25 to 30 percent of North Lampung's total annual revenue of Rp 8.5 billion.
Responding to the activists, North Lampung's budget committee head, Bachtiar Basri, said that the salary and allowance proposals for the regent and vice regent had not violated any regulations.
Hairi Fasyah, the North Lampung regent, could not be reached for comment.