Offending officials' salary increase to be delayed

JAKARTA: The city administration will delay the salary increase of the South Jakarta subdistrict heads who went on a junket to Turkey with their wives from April 5 to 20 despite a no-travel policy during the election period.

"The highest sanction will be a one-year delay in their salary increase," Governor Fauzi Bowo told reporters Monday.

He said the punishment would only apply to officials who made the trip, while the officials who authorized the junket would get a note stating the administration's dissatisfaction with their action, which would affect their performance appraisal.

Seven subdistrict heads and officials at the South Jakarta municipality, including Deputy Mayor Anas Effendi, were reported to have violated a memo issued by the Home Ministry about the legislative elections. The memo prohibited governors and mayors in the country from taking leave from April 8 to 10 pending the completion of vote counting.

The memo also required district and subdistrict heads to be in their offices from April 5-20 for the elections. The subdistrict head are from Kuningan Timur, Karet Kuningan, Karet, Karet Semanggi, Lenteng Agung, Ciganjur and Srengseng Sawah. - JP