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)