Jakarta Budget Oddities Raise Suspicion of Possible Corruption

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Forum for Budget Transparency (FITRA) suspected the practice of corruption planning following the findings of irregularities in the 2020 Jakarta Regional Budget (APBD) Draft.

“This indicates a possible corruption plan during the drafting of APBD,” said the forum secretary-general Misbah Hasan via a short message, Thursday, Oct. 31.

The budget irregularities include the purchase of Aibon glue worth Rp82.8 billion and pens amounted to Rp123 billion.

According to Misbah, the indication was backed by the bureaucracy of the provincial administration that closed the public access to the information on drafts of the 2020 General Budget Policies and Provisional Budget Ceiling and Priorities (KUA-PPAS) and APBD.

Additionally, the input of several unreasonably high budget proved the lack of monitoring and control in the budget drafting, both from the system and the regional apparatus, as well as the governor.

Misbah opined the quality of APBD would be higher if the public was involved to monitor, criticize, and give inputs to the draft budget documents. Because, if the draft was reviewed thoroughly, there must be irrelevant budget allocation between the program, event, and activity component.

“That is the gap for a corruption plan to be set,” Misbah said.

Previously, Jakarta Legislative Council (DPRD) member from PSI faction, William Aditya Sarana, revealed through his social media a number of oddities in the regional budget draft. William claimed the findings were obtained from the city’s official website apbd.jakarta.go.id on Oct. 29. However, the page was inaccessible shortly after he delivered criticism.

IMAM HAMDI