DPD RI Requests BPK to Audit MRP Budget Across Papua
Sorong (ANTARA) - A member of the Regional Representative Council (DPD) RI from the Southwest Papua electoral district, Paul Finsen Mayor, has requested that the Financial Audit Board (BPK) RI immediately conduct a thorough audit of the use of the Majelis Rakyat Papua (MRP) budget in six provinces across Papua.
“If the audit results find any state losses or misuse of the budget, I propose interim replacements (PAW) for the MRP leadership,” he explained via mobile phone on Sunday.
According to Paul, the budget allocated for salaries and allowances for MRP members in the six provinces is estimated to reach around Rp181.44 billion per year.
That figure, he said, does not include various operational expenditures for the secretariat, such as official travel, operational vehicles, and other activities.
“If calculated from 2022 until now, the total budget disbursed is estimated to have reached trillions of rupiah,” he stated.
He assessed that an audit is necessary for the performance and use of the MRP budget, both in the current period and previous periods, to ensure that special autonomy funds for Papua are used according to their intended purpose.
The DPD RI, he said, also requests that the audit results be published transparently to the public to maintain the institution’s accountability and address various public questions regarding the utilisation of the budget.
Paul emphasised that if indications of budget misuse or state losses are found, legal processes must be carried out immediately, accompanied by leadership replacements through the PAW mechanism.
“If state losses are found, they must be processed legally and leadership replacements carried out,” he said.
In addition, he assessed that the existence of the MRP as a cultural representation institution for indigenous Papuans needs to be evaluated because various fundamental issues faced by indigenous communities are considered unresolved, such as rights to customary land, human rights violations, social conflicts, and the impacts of development in Papua.
According to him, the special autonomy funds allocated for the welfare of indigenous Papuans should provide tangible benefits to the community.
He also urged the BPK RI to promptly release the audit results in the near future to prevent prolonged polemics in society.
“If not, we will hold an action in front of the BPK RI in Jakarta,” he said.
He committed to continuing to carry out oversight functions regarding the use of state budgets in Papua, including special autonomy funds, to ensure they are on target, transparent, and accountable.
“We want to ensure that state budgets are truly used for the interests of the Papuan people,” he stated.