Anita Rachman, Jakarta – The House of Representatives (DPR) says it is confident it can further trim the projected cost of a proposed new House building once discussions on the project resume on Monday.

The controversial plan had an initial price tag of Rp 1.8 trillion ($199.8 million) when it was first raised last year, but was subsequently reduced to Rp 1.3 trillion following a public outcry and opposition from some parties in the House over the extravagance of the project.

On Friday, House Speaker Marzuki Alie said the new House project was "inevitable" despite the criticisms over costs and necessity. But he was confident legislators could bring down the cost even further when the House reconvenes next week.

"I'm sure it can be trimmed to under Rp 1 trillion," he said. "We can save a lot on the furniture and IT equipment. I'll ask the technical team [overseeing the project] to re-evaluate the cost."

Original plans reportedly called for the building to include a pool, gym and sauna, which some lawmakers argued were necessary facilities. However, Marzuki said the gym and sauna were never part of the plan, while the pool was.

He added the House had returned to the state budget the Rp 250 billion allocated for the first phase of the project last year, but could not say if that amount would be added to the Rp 800 billion the House is set to get in the second phase this year.

"We don't know yet, but it's not necessary to spend it all," he said. "Ultimately, we want to lower the building's cost."

Marzuki is also the chairman of the House's Household Affairs Committee (BURT), which is in charge of the project. Earlier this week, BURT deputy chairman Pius Lustrilanang said the engineering design is expected to be finished in February, after which the project could be tendered out.

He said the process could take up to three months, while "construction will probably begin around the middle of the year."

Marzuki confirmed the project would proceed despite the widespread opposition to it, calling it "inevitable."

"We've spoken to all House parties about the need for the new building and none of them have rejected the plan," he said. "So I urge legislators not to play up this issue for their own political purposes, because they've all agreed to it."

He said if any of the nine parties formally rejected the project, "I will cancel it, even if it's just one party."

However, Gayus Lumbuun, a legislator from the opposition Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), denied that there was any consensus to proceed.

He said the House should hold a plenary session to formally decide whether to construct the new building, and accused the House leadership of using the issue to "selfishly push their own plans."

"It might seem that all the parties agree for now on the plan, but this really should be brought before a plenary session, where all legislators are present," Gayus told the Jakarta Globe. "Legislators have a constitutional right to speak out on the issue."

He added that without unanimous agreement, "the plan is simply invalid." He also said the House leadership had "crossed the line" by pushing for the new building despite public outrage.