'President, VP deserve high salary'

'President, VP deserve high salary'

JAKARTA: The President and the vice president deserve higher
pay in accordance with a law regulating the issue, State
Secretary Yusril Ihza Mahendra says.

Under Law No. 7/1978 on the administration of the President
and vice president, the President is paid six times the salary of
the highest state official under the President, while the vice
President receives four times the amount.

Currently, the President's take-home pay is about Rp 70
million (US$7,000) per month while the vice president's is Rp 45
million.

The highest-paid state officials under the President are five
leaders of the Corruption Eradication Commission who are paid Rp
40 million each but receive no allowances.

"We can't pay the President and vice president that much
because of financial constraints," Yusril said on Wednesday.

He was responding to media reports on the office of Vice
President Jusuf Kalla, which proposed his salary be increased to
some Rp 160 million. The proposal was later dropped. -- JP