Anita Rachman – Despite the intense criticism of lawmakers' overseas study trips, members of the House of Representatives' Commission II jetted off to India this week, claiming they needed to study a population demographics monitoring system in the country.
The Indonesian Forum for Budget Transparency (Fitra) said on Wednesday that the commission, which oversees home affairs, left the country on Tuesday for India, where they will stay through Saturday.
Fitra's data showed that the visit, the last of several comparative studies conducted by lawmakers during the current recess period, will cost taxpayers Rp 453.7 million ($53,100).
Ganjar Pranowo, deputy chairman of the commission, said lawmakers had been setting up appointments with Indian institutions dealing with population and demographics for months. He called on the public to realize the urgency of the visit.
"The law has mandated us to apply the online Population Administration Information System [SIAK] in 2011," Ganjar said. "That is the main issue, we need to learn from a country with a huge population that has applied a similar system."
Although he was not taking part in the visit, Ganjar said, he supported it. He said lawmakers planned to learn about India's online population database and how the system could help the government identify and aid the poor.
He stated that the government had earmarked Rp 6.4 trillion for the SIAK and the House would closely monitor its use.
Ganjar added that he was sure the lawmakers would not return empty-handed. "We have been in correspondence with India for some time, we will gain many things," he said.
People should not only criticize the price of the trip, Ganjar said, but consider the benefits lawmakers would get out of it. "The democratization process is indeed expensive. But this trip is truly needed," he said.
Fitra has recorded 14 overseas trips by legislators so far this year, costing taxpayers about Rp 15 billion. The House commissions involved were Commission I, which oversees defense affairs, Commission VIII, which oversees religious and social affairs, Commission III, which oversees legal affairs, Commission II, which oversees home affairs, Commission X, which oversees education and sports, and the House speaker's trip to Iraq.
Uchok Sky Khadafi, who heads the watchdog's investigative division, said both Fitra and the public were eager to see what real inputs lawmakers gained from "studying" overseas.
Uchok said many of the lawmakers had yet to publish the results of their comparative studies.
"The public demands concrete reports from House members upon their return," he said. "But none of them have released the results of their trips."
Abdul Kadir Karding, the chairman of Commission VIII who went to Australia to study poverty last month, said his team, and the team that went to China, were still working on their reports.
TB Hasanuddin, deputy chairman of Commission I, said they would soon publish the results of their overseas visits. He said that lawmakers needed time because they had to meet with their constituents soon after returning from their trips.