BPK plans to report to the House twice a year

BPK plans to report to the House twice a year

JAKARTA (JP): The Supreme Audit Board (BPK) yesterday
announced plans to increase reports of its supervision of
government budget spending to the House of Representatives (DPR)
from one to two a year.

"BPK and DPR will attempt to improve supervision of the
government's financial expenses," the board's chairman, J.B.
Sumarlin, told reporters after swearing in 47 board officials.

Sumarlin, who is a former minister of finance, said the
board's job has become more complicated because the state budget
has increased steadily.

In 1969, the first year of the First Five Year Development
Plan (Repelita I), for example, the state budget was Rp 1
trillion (US$463.82 million), and has increased by nearly 70
times to the current Rp 69.7 trillion.

Sumarlin said that BPK will also hold routine meetings with
the Budgetary Commission of the House, the Antara news agency
reported.

In yesterday's ceremony, Sumarlin swore in, among others,
Marsidi Prio Soedibjo as the first senior auditor of state
finance and Jasmadi Joedodibroto and Munief Supriadi as staff
experts.

A BPK vice chairman, Gen. (ret) Koenarto, said recently that
the board will soon hire professionals to improve its supervisory
capabilities.

He said that BPK must work more rapidly, so that they can
audit more than 10 percent of the government's budget every year
as they do now.

Koenarto said that by hiring professionals on a temporary
basis, BPK expects to audit at least 30 percent of the state
budget this fiscal year. (icn)