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Govt, House under fire for costly trips
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and the House of Representatives are under fire as a report shows they are the biggest spenders of the state budget on foreign overseas trips
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resident Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and the House of Representatives are under fire as a report shows they are the biggest spenders of the state budget on foreign overseas trips.
The Indonesian Forum for Budget Transparency (Fitra) announced Sunday the total budget for domestic and foreign working visits of about 70 government institutions in 2010 reached Rp 19.5 trillion, four times higher than a health scheme for the poor costing Rp 4.5 trillion.
Fitra published the overseas travel budgets of 13 top spending institutions, totaling almost Rp 700 billion (US$70.9 million) in 2010.
The President was the top recipient of the 2010 state travel budget for foreign visits of state institutions, whereby he, his staff and entourage were allocated Rp 179 billion in total for trips budgeted in 2010.
This year the President has traveled to Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Norway, Canada, Turkey and Saudi Arabia; and is scheduled to travel to the Netherlands in October and perhaps Mexico in December.
The President commonly charters an airplane from national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia and carries with him in a VIP flight over 100 people per trip. He and the entire entourage usually spend nights overseas in five-star hotels.
Fitra coordinator for investigation and advocacy Uchok Sky Khadafi said the President spent a total of Rp 814 billion for his foreign visits between 2004 and 2009, or an average of Rp 162 billion per year.
“And the State Secretariat has proposed to the House an allocation of Rp 180.9 billion [for the President’s foreign visit spending] for 2011,” Uchok said in a presentation.
But, the President is not alone here. The House, which oversees the government’s use of the state budget, follows the President closely with Rp 170.3 billion allocated to fund overseas visits for lawmakers.
Fitra said each of the 11 commissions at the House could visit up to three countries, and lawmakers could visit up to three countries for each bill they deliberate.
“Lawmakers doing a visit will receive a per diem of between Rp 20 and 25 million per person, plus ‘representation money’ worth Rp 20 million for every departure.
“It’s no wonder all factions at the House, both those in the coalition and in the opposition, turn a blind eyes and deaf ears to public criticisms,” Uchok said.
“It is hard to expect the House to criticize the government’s foreign visit spending when it also enjoys such visits.”
In third place of Fitra’s list of state institutions receiving most money for foreign visits is the Health Ministry, was allocated a budget of Rp 145 billion in 2010. About 80 percent is allocated for supervising and ensuring the health of Indonesian haj pilgrims in Saudi Arabia.
In fourth place is the Culture and Tourism Ministry with Rp 60.8 billion, followed by the Youth and Sports Ministry (Rp 38.6 billion), the Regional Representatives Council (Rp 35.9 billion), then the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry (Rp 13.8 billion), the National Education Ministry (Rp 12.2 billion) and Home Ministry (Rp 8.7 billion).
“These figures tells us how the government and the House have violated Article 23 [1] of the Constitution which requires that the state budget should be maximally aimed at improving the welfare of the people.”
Presidential spokesman Julian Aldrin Pasha was unable to be reached on Sunday evening for confirmation of any details, while lawmakers have been insistently saying that their foreign working visits are necessary to support the legislative process.
