Lampung activists query regent's salaries plan

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.