Jakarta – New Minister of Home Affairs R. Hartono scoffed at a suggestion that President Soeharto's proposal for ministers to donate their first year's salaries to the poor would open the door to corruption.

He pointed out yesterday that ministers receive allowances and fringe benefits which amount to even more than their basic salaries. The move will therefore not cause any hardship at all.

Besides, Soeharto's request has been calculated to give ministers no reason to tolerate sloppy performance or corruption in their respective offices, he pointed out.

"The ministers' allowances are greater than their basic salaries... they can cover family expenditure with their benefits... no problem," he told reporters after taking over office from his predecessor Moch. Yogie S.M.

In the first meeting of the new cabinet on Tuesday, Soeharto asked ministers to donate their first year's salaries to the poor, declare their personal wealth and pay serious attention to the public's demand for clean and credible governance.

Soeharto himself has decided to donate his entire presidential salary and allowances to the poor, saying he could live comfortably on his soldier's pension.

The President and Vice President's monthly salaries are Rp 15 million (US$1,500) and Rp 10 million respectively. Cabinet ministers, the speaker of the House of Representatives, the chairman of the Supreme Court and the chairman of the Supreme Audit Agency each receive a basic monthly salary of Rp 2.5 million (US$250).

Separately, Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso said he, his deputies and mayors will follow Soeharto's example and donate one year's salary to poverty alleviation programs yesterday.

"For me to donate my salary would be no problem. I have other sources of income because I'm also a director of several companies," Sutiyoso said.

Sutiyoso declined to say how much his salary was. "It is my wife who takes care of it, I never bring money with me and I don't want to be bothered by money problems".