Tue, 02 Nov 2004

'My bonus is barely enough for Idul Fitri celebrations'

Idul Fitri holidays are only two weeks away and people are gearing up for the celebrations. Many people have started spending their holiday bonuses to buy gifts for children and relatives. Others are still waiting for the extra money. The Jakarta Post talked to residents about how they will spend their holiday bonuses.

Suwanto, 42, is a taxi driver. He lives with his wife and three children in Penjaringan, North Jakarta:

I'm not expecting much from my holiday bonus because taxi drivers usually don't get much. My bonus is barely enough to cover our extra expenses for the Idul Fitri celebration.

I really hope that in the remaining days prior to the Idul Fitri, I can get a lot of passengers. I also hope my wife, who runs a street-side kiosk, is similarly lucky.

If we can get a higher income, I can pay the daily rental fee to the taxi company and take the rest home to spend on Idul Fitri.

Uchok Batubara, 28, an activist with the Indonesian Forum for Budget Transparency. He lives at a boarding house on Jl. Matraman, Central Jakarta:

I have yet to receive the Idul Fitri bonus but my superior has promised I will get one.

I have planned to buy some books using the money. I have wanted some good books for some time but I didn't have the money.

I will also donate some of the money to the needy. As an activist, I often meet people from different economic backgrounds, including the poor.

I am not going home to celebrate Idul Fitri. My superior has asked me to stay at the city. I already told my parents in Tapanuli Selatan, North Sumatra, that I will not be able to visit them this year. Maybe I will return home next year.

-- The Jakarta Post