KPUD washes hands of mark-up allegations<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Jakarta provincial General Election Commissions (KPUD) said
\nit was not responsible for any alleged mark-ups on the rental
\nfees of houses used for its secretariats in six regions.<\/p>\n
KPUD chairman Muhammad Taufik said the selections of those
\nhouses were made by a team whose members consisted of
\nrepresentatives from agencies under the city administration
\nincluding the City Planning Agency, the City Audit Agency
\n(Bawasda) and the City Asset Bureau.<\/p>\n
\"Those houses were selected before the provincial and
\nmunicipal\/regental KPUDs were established,\" Taufik said in a
\nhearing with the City Council's Commission A on legal and
\nadministration affairs.<\/p>\n
Councillors had accused KPUD of marking up the annual rental
\nfees for the houses -- one worth Rp 170 million (US$17,894) in
\nKepulauan Seribu, and others worth Rp 375 million in North
\nJakarta, Rp 455 million in West Jakarta, Rp 395 in South Jakarta,
\nRp 350 million in East Jakarta and Rp 374 million in Central
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
According to Commission A member Muhammad Arifin, the rental
\nfees were extraordinary high compared to the condition of the
\nhouses.<\/p>\n
\"I know the condition of a building in North Jakarta, which is
\nno better than the one for the provincial secretariat, but its
\nrental fee was only Rp 275 million,\" said Arifin, a councillor
\nfrom North Jakarta.<\/p>\n
During the hearing, Taufik was accompanied by four other
\nmembers at the KPUD provincial level and six chairmen of KPUD
\nmunicipal and Kepulauan Seribu regental levels. The KPUD
\nsecretariat, however, was absent.<\/p>\n
During the hearing, councillors also questioned budget
\nspending for the procurement of waistcoats, honorariums for
\nvolunteers working for the KPUD, election materials
\ndissemination, and training for election organizers from the
\nprovincial to subdistrict levels.<\/p>\n
They also questioned why the KPUD voted to elect businesses
\ntendering for jobs organizing the legislative and presidential
\nelections in the city.<\/p>\n
KPUD member Riza Patria said the votes were the fastest way to
\norganize the tenders, arguing they did not have enough time take
\npart in an open tender process.<\/p>\n
The commission adjourned the three-hour hearing until Monday.<\/p>\n
During Monday's hearing, the commission will also summon team
\nmembers who decided on the rental fees for houses, along with the
\nKPUD secretariat.<\/p>\n
Last year, Taufik said the Jakarta KPUD received Rp 168.6
\nbillion from the city budget and Rp 5 billion from the state
\nbudget for organizing the legislative and first and second
\npresidential elections.<\/p>\n
This year, the Jakarta KPUD will receive Rp 3.24 billion for
\nits daily operational costs organizing the regional elections.<\/p>\n
Budget for KPUD provincial and municipal\/regental levels<\/p>\n
No. Expenditure types Rupiah<\/p>\n
1. Honorarium for ballot counting and Rp 32.1 billion
\nmonitoring of legislative election<\/p>\n
2. Honorariums for ballot counting and Rp 31.9 billion<\/p>\n
monitoring of first presidential\/vice<\/p>\n
presidential election<\/p>\n
3. Honorarium for ballot counting of Rp 28.5 billion<\/p>\n
second vice presidential and<\/p>\n
presidential election<\/p>\n
4. Honorarium for members of provincial Rp 20.5 billion<\/p>\n
KPUD, municipal\/regental KPUDs,<\/p>\n
and other election organizers<\/p>\n
5. Routine spending Rp 7.0 billion<\/p>\n
6. Election facilities and equipment Rp 38.7 billion<\/p>\n
7. Voter education and election Rp 3.5 billion<\/p>\n
material dissemination<\/p>\n
8. Training for election organizers Rp 1.2 billion<\/p>\n
9. The implementation if election programs Rp 5.1 billion<\/p>\n
Total Rp 168.6 billion<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/kpud-washes-hands-of-mark-up-allegations-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }