Legislators hail pay raise for senior officials
Legislators hail pay raise for senior officials
JAKARTA (JP): House of Representatives' legislators patted
themselves on their backs on Thursday as they endorsed increased
salaries for themselves and senior state officials.
The resounding approval was in stark contrast to the rumbles
of discontent when it was initially discovered that hefty pay
rises were planned for top government officials.
Formal approval came during a plenary session at the House to
endorse the 2000 State Budget.
House Speaker Akbar Tandjung considered the salary hike a
natural reward for the added responsibilities and duties of
senior officials.
"The hike is natural. The current wage is low if we relate it
to the duties of state officials," Akbar remarked.
He urged the public to view the increase in its proper
context, without merely looking at its percentage.
As an example, he pointed out that a minister usually earns
less than the director of the state-owned company that he or she
oversees.
The government and the House have agreed to boost the basic
salaries of the president and vice president by 78 percent and
120 percent respectively.
Abdurrahman's basic monthly salary will be raised to Rp 26.7
million (US$3,814) from Rp 15 million, while Megawati's will be
increased to Rp 22 million from Rp 10 million.
The basic monthly salaries of legislators and senior officials
will increase from around Rp 2.1 million to Rp 8 million.
People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Amien Rais said he
accepted the increases, but stressed that legislators must
improve their performance.
"In the future, I hope the satirical phrase that legislators
only arrive, sit down and keep silent (in the House) while
receiving money will no longer be heard," Amien, who is also
chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN), said.
Amien however remarked that high salaries would not by
themselves ensure the eradication of corruption.
"It's about morality. Although someone has been paid a billion
rupiah, a corruptor will never be satisfied," he said.
The basic monthly salaries of the speakers of the House and
the Assembly will increase from around Rp 2.5 million to Rp 14.6
million.
The government and the House have also agreed to raise
salaries of government employees and police and military officers
by about 30 percent.
Meanwhile in Yogyakarta, analyst Tony A. Prasetyantono of
Gadjah Mada University said the most worrying event following
confirmation of any pay increase was a jump in inflation.
"The government must ensure that supply of basic staples is
sufficient," he said.
"An increase in civil servants' salaries always triggers
inflation. That will be homework for the economists," he said.
Tony predicted that inflation would reach at least 4 percent,
"but will be below 10 percent".
"The government's expectation that inflation would reach 4
percent was too optimistic ... The most important thing is that
the government keep the figure below 10 percent," Tony said.
(44/sur/jun)