The 13th month's salary

The 13th month's salary

From Kompas

The House of Representatives has endorsed the 2004 state budget but, unfortunately, neither the House nor the government have taken a clear stance about the 13th month's salary -- or the holiday bonus for civil servants.

A report published in Kompas on Nov. 11 said the finance minister had stressed this holiday bonus could not be disbursed in 2003.

It is strange to observe that while, on the one hand, the government has always pushed private companies to pay their employees this bonus, it has forgotten to give its own civil servants this bonus.

When this bonus is paid in 2004, this, in my opinion, would not be a holiday bonus but, rather, the 13th month's salary that the government will disburse either in June or July that would more appropriately be called an educational cost adjustment allowance.

The government must make a clear decision as to whether it will give its civil servants a holiday bonus or an educational cost adjustment allowance. Civil servants working for the Jakarta administration are lucky to get something similar to a bonus for the Idul Fitri holiday.

RIZALUDIN SIDQI

Jakarta