JEMBER - There are four officials in Jember who have drawn criticism after they were found to have received an honorarium of Rp. 70 million from a COVID-19 funeral.
They are members of the Jember COVID-19 Funeral Handling Team. The honor they received was Rp. 100,000 per funeral.
After reaping the polemic, the Regent of Jember Hendy Siswanto, the Regional Secretary Mirfano, the Head of the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) M. Jamil, and the Head of the BPBD Penta returned the honorarium to the district treasury.
Jember Regent Hendy Siswanto said that initially the honorarium was intended to be distributed to residents of COVID-19 victims who could not afford it. However, because the amount is in the thousands, the honorarium will be returned to the regional treasury.
"After we counted, the numbers were in the thousands (victims). We concluded that we would return them to the regional treasury, and we, Mr. Sekda, BPBD, and Head of BPBD, will return all of them," said the Regent of Jember, Friday, August 27.
However, funeral directors in the field still receive the honorarium. Hendy said that in June-July, the burial of COVID-19 patients in Jember was very high.
"Other officers who carry out the implementation will still be given," he said.
Hendy said the decree was a continuation of the decree signed by the previous regent, Faida. It was then continued and signed in March 2021.
"This has been formed for a long time, we continue the previous team, we have a decree in March, we form a new decree," he said.
According to the Regent of Jember, in a situation like this, it is not appropriate to receive the honorarium.
"Yesterday when we received the tablets, how come this is so big, it doesn't fit and we don't have to take it right in the current conditions," he continued.
Previously reported, the Regent of Jember Hendy Siswanto and a number of officials within the Jember Regency Government, namely the regional secretary, the Acting Head of BPBD to the Head of Emergency Logistics of BPBD reportedly received honoraria as a team for burial of the bodies of COVID-19 patients.
The value of the honorarium received by each of these officials is more than IDR 70 million, from a total of 705 funerals or the number of Jember residents who died due to COVID-19 based on account code 5.1,0204,01,0003 in June 2021,
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