TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Center for Anti-Corruption Studies (Pusako) at Universitas Andalas urged the House of Representatives (DPR) to improve its performance rather than requesting for additional budgets.
According to Coordinator of Pusako Feri Amsari, DPR’s fundamental role is to produce laws which in reality, has failed to meet its legislation target. “They haven’t even carried-out their main task well, yet they are focusing on asking for more additional budgets,” said Feri on Monday, August 14.
Read: DPR Plans to Build Apartements for Parliament Members
The House requested a 70 percent increase in its budget from the current Rp4.2 trillion to Rp7.2 trillion in 2018. Although, the number has now been slashed to Rp5.7 trillion after it was revised by the Indonesian Government.
Feri isn’t surprised with the public’s level of distrust against the House of Representatives, considering that the House is often involved in projects unrelated to the parliament. The fact is, the public’s fading trust against members of the House is caused by a large number of Parliament members that are involved in corruption cases.
Chairman of DPR’s Household Affairs Agency Anton Sihombing confirmed that the institution will construct a new office building in 2018. Anton said that the House will fight for the additional budget, dropping the Rp5.7 trillion budget that has been agreed upon to its original request of Rp7.25 trillion.
MITRA TARIGAN | HUSSEIN ABRI DONGORAN | STANLEY
