Camelia Pasandaran & Arti Ekawati – The government on Friday shrugged off criticism of its spending priorities, justifying the need for salary increases for officials and stating that it was going to push through with a plan to buy a new presidential plane.
"Don't get emotional, relax," Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati told journalists after a seminar titled Feed the World at the Jakarta Convention Center, referring to the outcry over revelations that the salaries of the president, vice president and ministers would be increased by up to 20 percent in March. She reminded journalists the plan had long been approved by the House of Representatives and that it had yet to be implemented.
"What has been decided in the national budget will be implemented," she said. "Concerning public officials, there have been discussions about how to adjust it. However, it has not been decided because there are some things that have not been completed."
She said that the salary increase has been planned with the State Administrative Reform Ministry.
Separately, Home Affairs Minister Gamawan Fauzi justified the need for a pay hike.
"If we want to be honest, the salary of a district head of Rp 6.3 million ($674) is equal to salary of a driver in Jakarta," he said. "If it is increased by 20 percent, is that too high?" He also said the basic salary of a governor, Rp 8.7 million, equated to the salary of the head of a bank branch.
"A minister's salary is Rp 18 million," he said. "Meanwhile, the salary of a director in a private institution might reach Rp 50 million. The salary of a minister is low compared to a private institution head, especially when comparing the work loads."
The planned increase, the first since 2004, will apply to the basic salary, but government officials receive several allowances for things such as transportation, housing and communications that equate to a total pay packet of as much as Rp 60 million to Rp 70 million per month.
The president's basic salary is about Rp 30 million, the vice president's is Rp 20 million and the House speaker's is Rp 5 million.
State secretary Sudi Silalahi, meanwhile, continued to argue that it was the House that had approved purchasing a presidential aircraft, even though the budget item had been listed in the "other spending" category, normally meant for disasters and other unforeseen expenditures.