No final word on pay hike

No final word on pay hike

JAKARTA (JP): The budget commission in the House of Representatives completed its debate on the government's proposed spending for the 1996/1997 year yesterday with no decisive word on the proposed increase of civil servants' salaries.

The planned increase in the salaries of civil servants, including military personnel, is high on the agenda of this year's fiscal deliberation.

But in their final overviews, only the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) and the United Development Party (PPP) factions touched the issue.

The dominant Golkar and Armed Forces factions did not state their stand on the improvement of the four-million strong civil servants' well-being.

The PDI faction proposed salary increases ranging from 25 percent for middle level and 75 percent for lower level civil servants.

The Moslem-based PPP reaffirmed its commitment in seeking higher salaries for civil servants but it did not propose by how much the salaries should be raised.

The House, which recessed for Idul Fitri yesterday, is scheduled to hold a plenary meeting to make a final decision on the government budget on Feb. 29. (pan)