KPK Urges Government to Separate Papua Special Autonomy Fund Accounts from Regional Budgets

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is urging the government to separate the special autonomy (otsus) fund accounts for Papua from the regional revenue and expenditure budget (APBD) accounts as a measure to prevent corruption. “We want the management of the otsus funds to have a clear, transparent, and easily monitored mechanism. With an increasingly better system, the potential for irregularities can be minimised and the benefits of the budget can truly be felt by the people of Papua,” said KPK Chairman Setyo Budiyanto in a confirmed statement in Jakarta on Thursday. Setyo explained that separating the accounts would facilitate tracking the inflow and outflow of the budget, making the management of Papua’s otsus funds more accountable. “Every rupiah of the otsus funds must be accounted for and genuinely returned to the community in the form of public services, development, and improved welfare,” he cautioned. In addition, Setyo reminded regional heads across Papua that the second year of leadership for those elected in the 2024 regional elections must serve as an important momentum to evaluate and improve governance. “What we hope for is not merely fulfilling administrative obligations, but rather how all regional heads share the same commitment to improving governance,” he stated. If problems are still found, regional heads must jointly identify the root causes. “Then we resolve them through guidance, mentoring, and supervision involving all relevant ministries and institutions,” he said. Meanwhile, Setyo noted that the KPK has identified several areas still at risk of irregularities within the Papua administration, including the procurement of goods and services, regional asset management, personnel management, and regional financial management. Specifically, the KPK is paying attention to regional assets that have not been returned, even though the officials who used them have entered retirement. As part of strengthening the corruption prevention system, Setyo said the KPK is collaborating with the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas, the National Public Procurement Agency, the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency, and the Audit Board of Indonesia. According to him, this collaborative approach is expected to produce sustainable improvements, rather than merely resolving administrative issues.