PSI Rejects The Skyrocketing Budget Of DKI DPRD Members In 2021

DPRD DKI (DOC. VOI) (VOI)

JAKARTA - Chairman of the DKI Jakarta Regional Leadership Council, the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI), Michael Victor Sianipar, asked all members of the Jakarta DPRD from the PSI faction to reject the draft currently in circulation regarding the increase in the annual work plan (RKT) of board members.

In the draft APBD for DKI 2021, the RKT for each DPRD member reaches IDR 8,383,791,000. This budget includes salaries, allowances, visitation fees, technical assistance, recess, and socialization fees.

So, if this is multiplied by 106 DPRD DKI members from all factions, a budget of IDR 888,681,846,000 is needed in one year.

This figure jumped dramatically compared to the 2020 DKI Regional Budget, which was only IDR 152,329,612,000 per year. One of the budget items that caused the RKT to skyrocket was the increase in salaries and allowances for DPRD members.

"We, from the DPW PSI, decided to reject this budget. The economic situation is tough," Michael said in his statement, Monday, November 30.

According to data compiled by the DKI Jakarta Central Statistics Agency, during the pandemic there were more than 190,000 people who lost their jobs in Jakarta. Then, the unemployment rate in DKI Jakarta increased rapidly from 6.5 percent to 11 percent during the pandemic.

On that basis, Michael considered it not good if the DPRD budget had increased when many people were losing their jobs or experiencing decreased income during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Currently, the public needs exemplary figures from their leaders, and it also needs to be demonstrated by representatives of the people, namely by refusing to increase income," said Michael.

He said that the discussion of the budget regarding the rights of council members had gone through an internal meeting between the PSI and the DPW, and had even been consulted with the DPP.

Decisions that have been taken by the party must be implemented by the PSI Jakarta faction and become the basis for the general views of the factions which have been conveyed at the Plenary Session.

"The party's instruction is to reject the increase in the council's working budget. If it is not implemented, there will be strict party disciplinary sanctions," he concluded.