No trips abroad starting next year, says PPP

No trips abroad starting next year, says PPP

JAKARTA (JP): The United Development Party (PPP) decided on
Monday to forbid its 13 councillors from going on overseas trips,
but allowed them to proceed with planned tours for the rest of
the year.

The decision came amid mounting public criticism that the
tours, which councillors claim are for comparative studies, were
inefficient and wasteful.

"Starting next year and until 2004, PPP councillors are
forbidden from going on these trips. Even if the trips are
allocated in the budget, we will not go on them," chairman of the
city chapter of PPP Djafar Badjeber said.

Djafar, who is also the deputy chairman of City Council, added
that the party would allow the councillors to take part in the
trips that had been scheduled for this year.

"We do not forbid the councillors from joining trips this year
since they (the funds) have been allocated in the current
budget," he said.

This year's city budget allocates Rp 12 billion for the
councillors' domestic and foreign trips. More than half of the
fund has been used for the trips for comparative studies in
various places around the world.

Djafar urged councillors who conducted the recent comparative
study abroad to clarify the trip.

He said that not all councillors agreed to the idea to stop
foreign trips next year.

"We can't force them to follow our decision," he said.

So far only PPP has decided to put a stop to the trips, while
the other 10 factions in the council have refused to comment on
the matter.

Deputy chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
Roy B.B. Janis said on Saturday that the trips were wasteful but
were entirely in City Council's hands.

Activists and lawyers have condemned the trips, saying that
they were a waste of taxpayers' money. They said the trips were
corrupt and called on public prosecutors to investigate the
matter.

Separately, chairman of City Council Commission A for
administration, security and public order, government affairs
Binsar Tambunan denied that the councillors had fun on their
recent trip to Tokyo and Beijing.

"We were met by local officials in both cities. It was not a
pleasure trip," Binsar of PDI Perjuangan said on Monday.

He said some 17 councillors visited Tokyo's crisis center and
its fire department and met officials of the People's Congress of
China in their comparative study on disaster management.

He claimed the councillors had learned from Beijing officials
how to arrange an integral city budget, adding that it could be
applied to Jakarta.

"We will issue a press release on our foreign trips," said
Binsar, who arrived here on Sunday from Beijing.

He refused to comment on the visits to tourist attractions
during the seven-day trip, which was arranged by Anta Tour travel
agency.

According to a program made by the travel agency, the
councillors spent most of their time visiting tourist
attractions.

Last month, Indonesian consulates in Los Angeles and Madrid
stated that the councillors' trips to the two cities to study
entertainment tax and waste management respectively, were
ineffective as they were not well-prepared. (jun)