http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/now-a-new-dpr-building-is-not-enough-lawmakers-want-face-lift-for-others-too/373872
May 08, 2010 Armando Siahaan Now a New DPR Building Is Not Enough: Lawmakers Want Face-Lift for Others Too If you thought the uproar over reports that lawmakers plan to build a new tower costing Rp 1.8 trillion ($195 million) was enough to discourage them, think again. The House of Representatives is not going to stop at a modest Rp 1.8 trillion - now they want more to pay for a comprehensive face-lift of the entire legislative complex, says the deputy chief of the House's household affairs committee, Pius Lustrilanang. "The Rp 1.8 trillion is just for the building. There will be a new budget for extensive renovations," said Pius, from the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), without specifying what they would be or their cost. Pius said renovations would only be done once the new offices were complete. The House would then meet to focus on budgeting and securing the approval from all House factions and eventually the budgeting committee. The committee is now working with the Ministry of Public Works to refigure the cost of building the 36-floor tower, which lawmakers say would be used to house activities now in Nusantara I, the adjacent 24-story tower that is 13 years old. Pius said the committee would follow the ministry's recommendation, even if it had to drastically cut the cost or hire a new consultant, which could lead to a new design. He said he expected construction to begin in August so the tower could be used next year. The House budgeting committee has so far approved Rp 250 billion from this year's state budget for the construction. Pius said that would only be enough for the basement and first three floors. He called the main reason behind the new building "capacity overload." Nusantara I can hold up to 800 people, but 560 lawmakers each need at least one assistant and one expert staff member, he said. "Then there are people like the faction staff members, and some lawmakers need additional assistants and expert staff." He outlined complaints that lawmakers' current offices were not spacious enough. The room standard for Echelon I government officials is between 110 and 130 square meters, he said, hence lawmakers are entitled to the same treatment "since we carry the same level of burden and tasks." He said the initiative for a new building and a face-lift started in October 2007 as part of the House effort to improve lawmakers' performance. Better facilities were a factor in achieving that, he said. Related articles Indonesia's Reformers Remain Under Fire as Indrawati Quits 12:53 PM 06/05/2010 Prosecutors Seek 3 Years for BI Bribery Case Suspects 12:26 AM 05/05/2010 Court Indicts Current, Former Lawmakers on Bribery Charges 11:28 PM 04/05/2010 Legislator Criticizes Building Proposal as 'Too Much' 1:13 PM 03/05/2010 Minister Implicated in Corruption Scandal 12:51 PM 28/04/2010
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