Government Urged to Evaluate Priority Programmes for Greater Transparency

The Lingkar Pemuda Indonesia (LPI) has urged the government to conduct a thorough evaluation of several national priority programmes to ensure their implementation is transparent, accountable, and on target. The organisation believes that governance reforms are necessary so that programmes intended for the public do not create opportunities for budget irregularities. LPI National Executive Director Akhrom Saleh stated that every state budget allocation for strategic programmes must be managed responsibly in accordance with the principles of good governance. “Every rupiah of state money is a public trust that must be accounted for. Therefore, the budget for strategic programmes must be managed transparently and accountably as directed by the President,” he said in a written statement on Monday (29/6). LPI highlighted three programmes that have recently drawn public attention: the Free Nutritious Meals Programme (MBG), the construction of Sekolah Rakyat (People’s Schools), and the training of prospective managers for the Koperasi Desa/Kelurahan Merah Putih (Kopdes). Regarding the Free Nutritious Meals Programme, the organisation has asked law enforcement officials to investigate alleged irregularities in the programme’s management. According to Akhrom, if there are indications of legal violations, the law enforcement process must be carried out objectively and impartially. In addition, LPI is pushing for an investigative audit of the Sekolah Rakyat Programme. They believe that issues surrounding alleged budget mark-ups and payment problems to third parties need to be openly clarified to avoid public speculation. LPI also highlighted the training of prospective Kopdes managers following the deaths of several participants during the activity. The organisation has asked the government to evaluate the training methods to better suit the needs for managerial and entrepreneurial competencies. Akhrom stressed that LPI fundamentally supports the government’s priority programmes aimed at improving public welfare. However, he noted that the success of these programmes depends heavily on professional, transparent governance free from budget misuse. “Therefore, LPI requests the government to strengthen oversight of all national priority programmes and to take action against any parties proven to have exploited these programmes for personal or group interests,” he asserted. According to Akhrom, all government policies must ultimately remain oriented towards the broader public interest and deliver tangible benefits for improving people’s welfare.