Oyos Saroso H.N., Bandarlampung – Non-government activists reacted resolutely to Bandarlampung Mayor Eddy Sutrisno's allowance "gift" to city councillors by protesting Tuesday.
The city's 45 councillors received Rp 37.8 million (US$4,108) each as part of their communication allowance. The Jakarta Post can reveal the allowances were raised from the remains of the Badarlampung city budget, which was originally set aside to pay contract workers.
Many contract workers have not yet been promoted to civil servant status, however their salaries had been allocated. This money was then reallocated for the allowance.
Bandarlampung city administration secretary Sudarno Edi said that in order to hand out the allowance, Bandarlampung's mayor changed documents for Bandarlampung's 2006 budget for working units.
Bandarlampung City Council Speaker Azwar Yakub said the allowance met the 2006 government regulation standards on allowances for legislative members.
Despite this, the 2006 allowance has been highly criticized as it was not originally allocated in the city's yearly budget. Demonstrators said the mayor's gift was graft.
"With the number of poor people on the rise, councillors are enjoying big parties with the people's money. They truly have no sense of crisis," Anti-Corruption Committee coordinator Ahmad Julden Erwin said Tuesday.
He said the distribution of the allowance was against government regulations, passed in 2005, on the management of regional budgets.
Under the regulations heads of regions, offices and units are prohibited from spending public funds that have not been allocated in the city's budget, he said.
Regulations also insist spending be based on efficient and effective principles.
Furthermore, Erwin said the councillors have already been paid enough despite performing poorly in their positions. Each councillor reportedly receives a Rp 10 million monthly salary.
"When there are plenary meetings to discuss local ordinances or other important matters, many of the councillors do not show up," he said. "They prefer to conduct field studies overseas and in other big cities in the country, producing unclear results. So it's weird that they're getting large communication allowances."
Home Minister M. Ma'ruf has released a circular on the disbursement of communication allowances for council members.
"Although the allowance was not allocated in the 2006 budget, after consulting the mayor, the money can be collected," City Council Speaker Azwar Yakub said.
As of Tuesday, some 30 councillors have collected the allowance, which is for the January-June period. The remaining allowance for July-December will be dispersed later this year.