BPK: Irregularities in state finances exceed Rp 11.8t
BPK: Irregularities in state finances exceed Rp 11.8t
JAKARTA (JP): The Supreme Audit Agency disclosed on Thursday
that it found 1,760 instances of financial irregularities
involving a total sum of more than Rp 11.8 trillion (US$1.2
billion) in the management of state budget and state companies in
the fiscal years 1999 and 2000.
The agency said in a report to the House of Representatives
that ministries or government offices which held the highest
record of irregularities in budget management included the State
Secretariat, the President's Office, the defense and security
ministry, and the military and police headquarters.
"I am glad to report that the customs and excise tax
directorate general was the cleanest institution in that it had
the fewest cases of irregularities," the agency's chairman Satrio
Budihardjo Joedono said.
The report, covered the results of audits conducted by the
agency in the last quarter of 2000 for the state budget and
finances of state companies for fiscal years 1999/2000 and 2000.
The agency never explicitly mentions corruption, malfeasance
or embezzlement of funds in its audit report but implicitly
divides them into three categories of what it terms irregularity.
Hence irregularities can mean outright losses or simply potential
losses.
The three kinds of irregularities are: deviation from the law,
noncompliance with austerity and efficiency and deviation from
set objectives.
Joedono said the agency audited Rp 37.11 trillion worth of
state and provincial budgets and the finances of state companies
over the fiscal year 1999/2000 (March to April) and discovered
834 instances of irregularities involving a total amount of Rp
3.88 trillion.
"Of the Rp 44.35 trillion worth of state budget and state
companies' finances we audited in the fiscal year 2000 (April-
December), we found 925 instances of irregularities involving Rp
8.05 trillion," he added.
With regard to state companies, the agency found
irregularities worth Rp 3.2 trillion in potential losses, most of
which took place at PT Dirgantara Indonesia, PT PN X1 plantation
company, PT PAL shipyard, PT Inhutani forestry company and Bank
Mandiri.(dja/vin)