Questioning The Prosperity Of House Allowances For Members Of The DPR Rp50 Million In The Midst Of Residents' Difficulties

A number of people observed the condition of the house at the Kalibata DPR RI Member Housing Complex, Jakarta, Monday (7/10/2024). (ANTARA/Bagus Ahmad Rizaldi)

The news about the increase in salaries of members of the House of Representatives (DPR) for the period 2024-2029 is becoming a public discussion. The representatives of the people pocketed a total of more than Rp. 100 million per month, which is a combination of salary and home allowances.

The official income of DPR members who reached the three digits was first revealed by DPR Commission I member TB Hasanuddin some time ago.

He himself rejected the increase in salary, but if traced, this revenue figure is twice as large as the salary and allowances for DPR members for the 2019-2024 period.

It turns out that the difference in the acceptance of DPR members in the past period and now is due to the existence of a home allowance of Rp. 50 million per month as a substitute for official housing facilities.

The news of this house allowance money spread when most Indonesians experience economic difficulties. Termination of employment (PHK) is everywhere, employment is not proportional to job seekers, rising prices for basic goods, to increasing land and building taxes (PBB) in a number of areas.

Seeing the current situation, Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) researcher Egi Primayogha said that the house allowance obtained by DPR members was not a proper decision.

This house allowance policy is based on a letter from the Secretariat General of the DPR Number B/733/RT.01/09/2024. The issue of housing allowance facilities has been sticking out since the end of last year. At that time, the elected members of the DPR questioned the feasibility of their official houses in Kalibata, South Jakarta and the Pengumben Post, Ulujami, West Jakarta.

According to the Secretary General of the House of Representatives, Indra Iskandar, many official houses are in a damaged condition and need renovations so they cannot be occupied immediately. The house, which was founded in 1988, is also considered to take up a larger budget if it is revitalized. The maintenance costs are also quite large.

As a result, instead, the members of the DPR receive a house allowance of Rp. 50 million a month. With the additional allowance, the net income received by the Senayan legislator increases. The salaries of members of the DPR for this period can reach Rp. 100 million per month or Rp. 3 million per day.

Indra said the housing allowance of IDR 50 million was lumped or in other words the parliamentary secretariat did not require detailed accountability from legislators regarding the use of the housing allowance.

ICW researcher Egi Primayogha said that the increase in the income of DPR members was not a proper decision. There are at least three points that are in the spotlight of ICW in the midst of the boisterous housing allowances received by DPR members.

First, Egi assesses that home allowances for Senayan legislators have the potential to be a waste. According to ICW calculations, if 580 DPR members get 50 million every month for 60 months, then there is the potential for a waste of a budget of IDR 1.74 trillion.

"This is not a small number and can be transferred to other needs, for example public services that have been disrupted by budget efficiency," explained Egi.

Second, judging from public ethics, namely justice and propriety. This policy is called unfair and inappropriate, because it sees the situation that is being faced by the community. Currently, said Egi, residents are experiencing difficulties even from basic things such as basic daily needs.

People's purchasing power is said to have weakened. Prices have already increased because there was a plan to increase the value added tax rate (VAT) from 11 percent to 12 percent, although in the end it was canceled.

There is also a drastic increase in land and building taxes (PBB) in several regions. This is allegedly due to the efficiency of transfers from the center to the regions. Not to mention the increase in staples such as rice in at least the past year.

"In the midst of the difficulties of residents who are currently experiencing, tax increases, and others, the decision to continue the housing allowance is not a proper decision so it should be canceled by the Secretary General of the DPR or whoever has the authority to cancel this decision," he said.

Furthermore, Egi also questioned the existence of spending on procurement expenditures aimed at repairing or patching the DPR housing previously.

Based on ICW's search for procurement spending by the Secretariat General of the DPR through the Electronic Procurement Service (LPSE), there are 27 procurement packages with a total contract of Rp374.53 billion.

Two packages were carried out in 2024 for mechanical maintenance of electricity and lumbing with a total contract of IDR 35.8 billion. With these findings, it is indicated that there is a plan designed so that DPR members can occupy the official residence.

"What's the point of spending money for repairs, but the house is not used. We need to ask," he said.

Egi also demands transparency from policy makers, because so far, according to him, the public has never received sufficient explanation regarding the calculation of house allowance funds of Rp. 50 million.

"Is it following the existing standards? Is it in accordance with what the members of the DPR need? This should be explained by the decision maker of this housing allowance," concluded Egi.