PRESIDENT-elect Joko Widodo has put the spotlight on last year’s Rp18 trillion allocated for official meetings and overseas travel. It turns out that the per diem, expenses and ‘attendance’ fees were additional sources of income for government employees, high and low. With a 30 percent increase predicted for next year, the monumental funds will exceed the budget allocated to build much-needed infrastructure. Cutting back on this budget will be part of Jokowi’s efforts at streamlining the bureaucracy.