East Java governor Soekarwo has come under fire for arranging a series of overseas trips which provincial legislative council members consider a waste of taxpayers’ money.
Council member Nizar Zahro said the June 20-30 visit, which will take Soekarwo to Japan, France and Belgium, had never been consulted with the legislative body although the governor‘s entourage includes two councilors.
“The visit should have been discussed at the budget committee as it is funded by taxpayers’ money,” Nizar said as quoted by Antara on Saturday.
The outing reportedly costs the province Rp 1.08 billion (US$117,000).
Another councilor, Ancelmus Raga Milo, said the governor had violated the 2005 home ministerial regulation on overseas trips of regional heads and legislative council members. The regulation restricts the length of a foreign visit to only seven days.
Nizar doubted the visit, although aimed at promoting East Java economic potentials, would benefit the province, which is struggling to emerge no less than three million households from poverty.
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