Jakarta Legislator Questions 'Invisible' Flood Warning System Funded by National Economic Recovery Loan

A member of the Jakarta Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) Budget Committee, Lukmanul Hakim, has questioned the whereabouts and benefits of a flood early warning system project funded by a National Economic Recovery (PEN) loan worth around IDR 250 billion. He stated that although the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government is still repaying the debt for the project, the physical form and function of the early warning system remain unclear. “The PEN loan was used, among other things, for a flood warning system. But to this day, we do not know what it looks like or where it is,” he said in Jakarta on Wednesday. Lukmanul made these remarks during a Budget Committee meeting with the Regional Government Budget Team (TAPD) discussing the General Budget Policies and Provisional Budget Ceiling Priorities (KUA-PPAS) for the 2027 fiscal year. He stressed that the meeting was an official forum to ensure transparent and accountable regional financial management. He demanded the government openly disclose all information regarding the use of the loan funds. “This is a matter of public funds. We must not allow a situation where the government continues to pay off debts, but the goods financed are nowhere to be found,” he asserted. Lukmanul also urged the DKI Jakarta Inspectorate to immediately submit the results of its internal audit concerning the procurement of the flood warning system to the Budget Committee. He argued that the audit report is crucial for the council to determine whether the budget was used in accordance with planning and applicable regulations. Furthermore, he called on law enforcement officials to investigate the use of the PEN loan if any irregularities are found in its implementation. The scrutiny of budget usage is considered increasingly critical as the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government plans to utilise regional bond financing schemes in future budget structures. “I am actually against the idea of continuously taking on debt. We must not end up in a situation where we are paying off loans for goods whose existence is unclear,” he said. He hopes the regional government will provide a transparent explanation regarding the entire use of the loan funds, particularly for the flood early warning system, to prevent further questions from the public and the council.