Officials' salaries

Officials' salaries

From Pikiran Rakyat

As a rural layman, a television report on Jan. 15, 2000,
really caught me by surprise when it stated that the salaries of
government officials would be raised by hundreds of times.

The president will earn Rp 120 million a month, the vice
president Rp 110 million, a minister Rp 47 million and a member
of the House of People's Representatives Rp 27 million.

Reportedly, these increases have been included in the draft
state budget and will come from loans from the International
Monetary Fund (IMF).

I really cannot understand why finance minister Bambang
Sudibyo had the heart to announce this matter to the public.
Everybody knows that our people are generally in great difficulty
as salaries have not increased while the prices of daily
necessities have soared.

Low-level employees in private companies earn enough to feed
their families for only 10 days. Obviously, the only thing left
for the common people to do is to keep tightening their belts.

In the meantime, the number of poor people keeps increasing.
Many of our people, without the knowledge of government
apparatuses, may have died of starvation.

On the one hand, a killing spree is going on in Maluku. On the
other, our minister has proudly announced a raise in the salaries
of government officials. This serves only to prove that
government officials, regardless of who they are, only think
about their own interests and tend to be avaricious.

When President Abdurrahman Wahid announced the lineup of his
Cabinet, finance minister Bambang Sudibyo was appointed his
present position because of his honest and corruption-free
character traits. Now that he has announced this spectacular
raise in the salaries of government officials, must we continue
to think favorably of him?

It is true that the President has given his nod to this salary
increase. The problem now is whether or not our ministers
handling economic, financial and industrial affairs have a
conscience. Why can't they say "No" to the President about
matters which may only burden the people?

If they do not take the side of the people, what will then
become of this country?

I -- and I believe many people will agree with me in this
respect -- therefore now take the liberty to call on the
government to postpone the realization of the plan to increase
the salaries of government officials until our economy has been
restored and people can again lead a decent life.

Everybody knows that the common people are very poor now. Just
imagine that to buy a pair of shoes, which I will wear to go to
work, is something I have to consider many times because I also
have to consider the need to feed my family.

To me, a salary of Rp 27 million a month for a House member
(if it is realized) is indeed extraordinary. I myself have never
seen such an amount of money. So, is this what we should call
justice and fairness? One thing to remember, House members have
yet to do their best.

D. SUKSENTO

Bandung, West Java