Allegations of marking up in post-flood repair projects

Allegations of marking up in post-flood repair projects

Ahmad Junaedi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The huge funds provided by the city administration for flood
rehabilitation projects appear open to misuse, as several city
agencies have allegedly marked up their postflood expenditure.

City Middle and Higher Education Agency standardization
division head Sapari revealed on Wednesday that it planned to
renovate 132 senior high school buildings damaged by the recent
floods, instead of 152 buildings as reported.

"We have more than 2,000 students in the 152 school buildings,
but only 132 buildings were damaged by the floods," Sapari said.

According to the agency's proposal, it planned to repair 152
school buildings. The proposal was approved by city Governor
Sutiyoso and the agency has received Rp 3.2 billion (US$320,000).

The Rp 3.2 billion was part of the Rp 251 billion announced by
Sutiyoso on Tuesday for flood rehabilitation projects.

The agency's proposal stated that all 152 schools suffered
damage to their floors, doors, tables, chairs, drawers and
computers.

The damage, especially to the computers, raised questions on
whether they were all really as badly damaged as stated in the
proposal.

Agency head Sukesti Martono admitted on Wednesday that not all
computers were damaged by the floods as many of them had been
moved to the second floors of the school buildings.

Asked about public complaints that he had not inspected the
schools during the floods, Sukesti replied, "I didn't have enough
time. So many schools were damaged by the floods."

Meanwhile, vice principal of SMU 8 Bukit Duri, South Jakarta,
complained that the school had yet to receive support from the
city administration following the recent floods, which had ruined
some of the school building.

"We have spent more than Rp 100 million from the school's own
coffers to clean up the mess and fix some of the main school
fixtures, including the electrical system," Abdurahman Ibrahim
told The Jakarta Post.

Ibrahim revealed that due to the floods, the school had
suffered an estimated Rp 300 million-worth of damage.

Ibrahim said the school planned to repaint the building during
the school holiday, which was scheduled to begin in the middle of
March.

Ibrahim called on the city administration to disburse the
funds meant for short-term renovation works.

"If they are not disbursed, we will use our own money. We
can't wait any longer as the extremely bad state of the
classrooms could threaten students' health, which, in turn, would
disrupt their education," he said.

A reliable source said that the school had sent a letter to
the governor to complain about the slow response of the agency.

The school was forced to rent a school building on Jl. Tebet
Barat to accommodate its third-year students, due to face their
final examination.

The school, which is considered among the best state schools
in the city, together with students' parents, paid the rental fee
of Rp 12.5 million without any help from the agency.

Besides that agency, the City Sanitation Agency has also
allegedly marked up its postflood expenditure.

According to records, the agency hired only 57 private garbage
trucks to dispose of trash after the floods but the agency's
deputy head Rama Budi said on Tuesday that it had hired 83.

"I will check with my subordinates. I will punish them if
there is any corruption in this matter," Rama said on Wednesday.

He said earlier that the agency had spent Rp 1 billion in
renting 83 trucks, seven skip loaders and eight excavators from
private contractors.