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.