Lampung councillors spend millions on trips

Lampung councillors spend millions on trips

Oyos Saroso H.N., The Jakarta Post, Bandarlampung

Barely a month after they were inaugurated as councillors in
Lampung province, members of three separate regional legislative
councils here have begun embarking on expensive consultation
trips that are costing the state hundreds millions of rupiah.

Twenty-three councillors at the Bandarlampung municipality
council went last week to the office of Minister of Home Affairs
Hari Sabarno in Jakarta to shed light on a series of government
regulations pertaining to regional councils.

According to a source at the municipal council, each
councillor was allocated a Rp 2.5 million (US$266) allowance for
the trip. The councillors departed to Jakarta from Bandarlampung
on Tuesday afternoon last week and returned home this Tuesday.

During a meeting with Hari, they discussed rules about the
election of municipal council leaders and the establishment of
council factions.

"The minister's answers in the meeting will be our
guidelines," said councillor Benny Mansyur, who is in charge of
electing council leaders at Bandarlampung.

A similar trip is being made by councillors from the North
Lampung and Way Kanan regencies. Twenty-two North Lampung
councillors went to Jakarta on Tuesday last week and are set to
return home on Friday, while 35 Way Kanan councillors are
planning to go to Jakarta next week. The Way Kanan councillors'
three-day trip, which will cost the state Rp 105 million, is made
up of councillor allowances amounting to Rp 3 million each.

Besides discussing the election of council leaders with Hari,
North Lampung councillors would also discuss the matter of recess
and the establishment of the council's Honorary Body within the
House of Representatives, secretary Buyung Iqbal Salim said.

"The trip is important and this is not a waste of money. The
councillors will benefit much from the trip, as it will shed
light on the best practices in electing council leaders and other
aspects of council activities," Buyung said.

Responding to the series of councillor trips, activist Wahyu
Sasongko said they were a waste of money.

"If they intend to find out more about government rules
pertaining to the election of council leaders, they can do it
just by phone or by sending two or three representatives to meet
the minister. They do not necessarily all have to come to Jakarta
in groups," said Wahyu, the coordinator of Lampung Parliament
Watch.