Indonesia nearly doubled a key allowance for its lawmakers, an official said on Monday, one month after cancelling some of the benefits given to parliamentarians in an effort to assuage public anger following a series of violent demonstrations.
Advertisement
In August, thousands of students, rights groups and other civilians joined protests against the government’s spending priorities, including pay rises for lawmakers. The demonstrations later spiralled into riots after a motorcycle taxi driver was killed during a police operation.
The violence, which spread to 32 of Indonesia’s 38 provinces, resulted in 10 deaths and at least 5,000 arrests, making it the deadliest outbreak of unrest in the archipelago for over two decades.
The increase in the “recess allowance” for lawmakers – which is given to parliamentarians to support their work in their constituencies while parliament is not in session – came into effect on October 3, at the start of the latest break, Deputy Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad said on Monday.
Each lawmaker will now get 700 million rupiah (US$42,200) for each recess, Dasco said, up from 400 million rupiah previously. Indonesia’s 580 parliamentarians take around five breaks per year.
Advertisement
The allowance, which Dasco said had been approved by the finance ministry in May, is earmarked for visits and activities in electoral districts.