There Was Ahok's Criticism About The Increase In Allowances For The DKI Jakarta DPRD Which Was Finally Canceled

DKI DPRD Building (Diah Ayu Wardani / VOI)

JAKARTA - The preparation of regional budgets in the Capital City has resulted in a polemic. Finally, the public was shocked by the issue of increasing salaries and allowances for DKI DPRD members which skyrocketed in the annual work plan (RKT) included in the draft DKI Regional Budget.

Initially, the preparation of this budget increase went cool without rejection from all factions. Until finally, one faction, namely PSI, expressed its opposition at the end.

Member of the PSI DPRD DKI Jakarta Fraction, August Hamonangan, explained his reason for participating in the meeting to discuss the special committee on the increase in the annual work plan budget (RKT) of the DKI DPRD.

During the RKT discussion, the PSI faction in the DPRD did not show any rejection because it still submitted the results of the discussion meeting to the DPW and DPP parties.

Until finally, PSI suddenly conveyed the rejection of the RKT increase in the general view of the factions at the plenary session of the General Budget Policy and Temporary Budget Ceiling Priority (KUA-PPAS).

"Until there is a general view at the plenary session, we say we reject, disagree with the increase in DPRD revenue in the RKT," said August on Thursday, December 3.

Members of other party factions in the DPRD were busy protesting PSI's attitude. One of them is the Deputy Chairman of the DPRD from the Gerindra Faction, Mohamad Taufik. In every special committee meeting and joint leadership meeting (gapimgab) related to the 2021 RKT, Taufik said PSI faction representatives who were members of the special committee agreed to all discussions.

"PSI agreed and signed it in the joint leadership meeting (rapimgab) of the DKI DPRD RKT. But, really, they even spoke oddly against outside. Don't be like that, it has to be fair. This is the name, damaging the institution," said Taufik.

Not wanting to have a long polemic, DKI DPRD Chairman Prasetio Edi Marsudi emphasized that his party has evaluated the draft RKT for council members in the 2021 budget year. That way, all nominal salaries to allowances for the DKI DPRD in 2021 remain the same as in 2020.

"I evaluate all of that, we don't have any (increases). Now, as the leader of the DPRD members, I say they are evaluated and returned to the 2020 APBD," said Prasetio at the DPRD DKI Building, Central Jakarta, Monday, December 7.

Prasetio emphasized that the increase in salaries and allowances for each DPRD member which was initially reported to have reached Rp. 173 million per month or Rp. 2 billion per year is not a final figure. In the end, the DPRD decided not to increase the budget.

"In the working paper plan, it has not been confirmed. Then, (the draft) was suddenly circulating, not legally," said Prasetio.

Ahok intervened

Feeling uneasy about the polemic of the Kebon Sirih parliamentary member, the former governor of DKI Jakarta, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, expressed his concern about the issue of salary increases and allowances for DKI DPRD members in the annual work plan (RKT) for the 2021 budget year.

Ahok even summoned one of the members of the DKI DPRD from the PDIP faction, Ima Mahdiah. Ima has been a member of the BTP Team since Ahok became the Governor of DKI.

"Ima, I ask you to come. Because to be honest, the issue of the DKI Regional Budget has damaged, angered the people," Ahok said in his Youtube account, Call Me BTP, which was uploaded on Sunday, December 6.

To Ahok, Ima explained that the DPRD had decided not to increase their salaries and allowances in 2021. This nominal amount is still equivalent to the income in 2020.

"For salaries and allowances, this one month amounted to Rp73 million from all, such as job allowances to rice allowances. So, there is no increase in salary and allowances like those (circulating) on social media," explained Ima to Ahok.

In response to this, Ahok concluded a problem that had occurred. He said the DPRD's revenue was questionable because there was no transparency in the nominal budget in the draft DKI Regional Budget that was disclosed to the public.

"So, how much income during the DPRD? Because (budget transparency) has never been published. My hope is that this kind of income should always be posted on the website so that the public can see," said Ahok.