PDI-P lawmaker: House speakers reject pork barrel proposal

An Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) lawmaker claimed Tuesday that the House of Representatives speakers had agreed to drop Golkar Party's proposal to allocate Rp 8.4 trillion (US$907 million) from the state budget to legislators for distribution to their constituencies.

"The House speakers said this proposal did not need further deliberation," PDI-P's Pramono Anung told reporters at the House building in Jakarta.

He said the funds would be prone to misuse since there was no mechanism to oversee their spending and ensure transparency.

"I personally reject the proposal because many regions are not yet ready to absorb the funds without clear transparency," Pramono said.

The Golkar Party claimed that the funds would be used to respond to constituents' requests and to accelerate the equal distribution of development projects across the country, particularly in remote and rural areas. (rdf)