'My bonus is barely enough for Idul Fitri celebrations'

'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