President to be highest paid person, says Vice President
President to be highest paid person, says Vice President
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The government will hold talks with the House of Representatives on a fixed remuneration system for state officials under which the President has the highest salary.
Vice President Jusuf Kalla said on Thursday the adjustment of the remuneration system would close the existing salary gap between state officials.
"The gap occurs because we do not have a fixed remuneration system," Kalla said while addressing a working meeting of legislative councils from across the country at his office.
The new remuneration system will comply with a merit system and the principles of fairness and appropriateness, according to Kalla.
He said he had discussed the matter with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and the finance minister.
Responding to Bank Indonesia's proposal to raise its top executive's basic salary to much more than what the President earns, Kalla said it was unlikely to be approved.
"The Central Bank governorship is an important position, but it does not mean the bank's responsibility (for example) is three times heavier than that of the President," Kalla said.
Bank Indonesia has proposed an increase in the salaries of its board of governors to between Rp 107.29 million (US$10,940) and Rp 141.32 million per month, while the President and vice president are expected to get Rp 64 million and Rp 57 million respectively.
House legislators are entitled to get between Rp 45 to Rp 50 million a month each. The current salary of the chief justice is about Rp 30 million a month, while ministers get about Rp 20 million.
Susilo, who earlier promised not to raise the salary of high- ranking state officials before lower-level employees received pay rises, has supported an increase in the remuneration of public officials, citing their responsibilities and workloads.
Kalla said the government and the House would also discuss the remuneration of local government officials to phase out differences.
"(Why is) the salary of a governor higher than that of a House legislator while a legislator is paid more than a minister here," he said.
The remuneration of regional officials would also depend on the regional revenue of each province, but the government is proposing a "salary tag".
Separately, a member of House Commission XI for finance, Harry Azhar Azis, said legislators might endorse the central bank's proposal.
"We agree that their salaries should be higher than that of the President, as is the case in other countries," he said.
However, he said the House considered the proposed pay rise excessive. The lawmakers, he added, could afford to approve up to 90 percent of the proposed raise.
The House will respond to the proposal during a meeting with the Bank Indonesia board of directors on Friday.