House of the Rising Funds

The House of Representatives (DPR) has demanded Rp11.2 trillion in the 2016 State Budget (APBN) to be used as an 'aspiration fund', amounting to Rp20 billion per lawmaker. Secretary-general of the Indonesian Forum for Budget Transparency, Yenny Sucipto, fears the money will be recklessly spent by lawmakers. "The House is now processing a regulation to support the budget," said Yenny on Wednesday last week.

Yenny pointed to the absence of guarantees for the fund's proper utilization. She said the House had no legal basis to push for the aspiration fund and that the Rp20 billion per lawmaker was arbitrarily calculated.

June 16, 2015