Lawmakers get cashed up

Lawmakers get cashed up

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

In spite of the public uproar, the government has disbursed Rp 10
million (US$1,030) in monthly operational allowances for each of
550 House of Representatives lawmakers, Antara has reported.

The allowances, which community watch organizations claim
would not be accounted for, were ostensibly aimed at facilitating
better communications between legislators and their constituents.

Deputy House secretary-general Ayu Darsini said on Tuesday the
allowance was effective as of July, therefore each lawmaker was
paid backdated allowances of Rp 60 million.

Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle legislator Hasto
Kristyanto said the allowance was transferred to his bank account
on Dec. 9.

Darsini said legislators were free to spend the allowance
on any activity to support their relationship with their
constituents.

The allowance was previously Rp 4 million per month, until the
increase was approved during the deliberation of the state budget
revision in October.

Hasto said it would be his party that would decide on how the
allowance would be used.

Each House member earns Rp 51.8 million in take-home pay per
month, in accordance with the revised state budget, a sharp
increase on the Rp 28.3 million they received previously.

The provision of operational allowances raised debate even
among lawmakers. Islam-based Prosperous Justice Party legislators
have said that they would not accept the money, while National
Mandate Party chairman Soetrisno Bachir threatened to recall any
party legislator who accepted the allowance.

The increase in lawmakers' pay comes amid the unabated
financial crisis that has caused the number of people living in
poverty to rise.

Critics have said the House members were not entitled to
higher salaries, citing their poor performance. Legislators have
failed to articulate people's aspirations, and have been
singularly unproductive, with only a handful of bills being
passed through the legislature since they took office over a year
ago, leaving a large number of very urgent bills languishing.

Meanwhile, presidential spokesman Andi Mallarangeng said there
would be no increase in the salary of either the President or
Vice President.

"Indeed, there was a proposal from the state minister of
administrative reforms to raise the President's salary by 5
percent, but its likely it will be turned down," Andi said.

According to the law, the President is entitled to a salary
amounting to four times the salary of the highest-paid state
official.