MPR's Annual Session too expensive, says Akbar

MPR's Annual Session too expensive, says Akbar

JAKARTA (JP): Only at the end of the Annual Session of the
People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) on Friday, did the Golkar
Party faction finally come to the conclusion that the expenditure
involved in the 10-day event was excessive.

It suggested that the MPR cut the budget by 50 percent for
next year's session.

Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung told a media briefing prior to
the closing ceremony that the state should have not earmarked
hotel accommodation expenses for this year's MPR Annual Session.
These expenses accounted for Rp 10 billion out of the total
budget of Rp 25.7 billion.

All 690 MPR legislators attending the session were provided
with rooms at two five-star hotels near the Assembly compound.

Many had criticized the whopping accommodation expenses on the
grounds that the 500 MPR members, who are also House of
Representatives legislators, already live in their respective
official residences in the Kalibata area of South Jakarta, which
form part of the facilities provided by the government to those
who provide service to the state.

Akbar welcomed the criticism and suggested that efficiency be
pursued from the 2001 Annual Session onwards.

He said that with security conditions improving, there should
be no need to accommodate MPR legislators in luxury hotels during
an annual session.

"For this reason, a peaceful and calm atmosphere is imperative
prior to and during the MPR Annual Session," Akbar said.

Also attending the briefing were chairman of the Golkar
faction in the MPR Fahmi Idris and his deputies Andi Matalatta
and Theo Sambuaga.

Upon revealing the budget for the Annual Session, MPR
Secretary General Umar Basalim said that the legislators were
accommodated at hotels to guarantee that they came on time to the
meetings of the session without any experiencing any
difficulties, such as if there were rallies or riots taking
place.

Other expenses included publicizing the results of the Annual
Session (Rp 5 billion), honorariums for employees and specially
recruited assistants (Rp 7 billion) and transportation expenses
for the legislators (Rp 1 billion). (rms/prb)