KPU car purchases under scrutiny
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The newly launched Indonesia Procurement Watch (IPW) said on Thursday that it had detected indications of irregularities in the purchase of cars for members of the General Elections Commission (KPU) and vowed to launch an investigation into the process.
The watchdog claimed that the car procurement was not in line with either the guidelines or Presidential Decree No.80/2003 on procurement.
"We will investigate the decision of the KPU and the procedures employed in procuring these cars," said Batara Lumbanraja, a member of the IPW's boards of patrons.
He said that the state budget funds were used for the procurement of the materials and services to be used in preparing for the general elections, and consequently public scrutiny was important.
Citing reports from the World Bank and Transparency International, Batara added that it was well known that the public procurement process in Indonesia was riddled with corruption.
IPW investigations director Hayie Muhammad, however, refused to divulge what the precise indications of irregularities were in the car procurement, arguing that it this could affect the preparations for the general elections.
He said that IPW would not disclose their findings to the public, but would report them to the KPU instead.
"We hope the KPU will institute internal reforms, otherwise we will announce our findings to the public," he said.
It was reported previously that KPU had allocated Rp 350 million (US$41,600) per car for the purchase of official vehicles for each of the nine KPU members, the secretary-general, and the deputy secretary-general.
A number of activists criticized the KPU members as all of them had already received Toyota Soluna sedans as official car. A Toyota Soluna costs around Rp 150 million.
Meanwhile, IPW executive director Budihardjo Hardjowiyono said that his group would also monitor procurement processes in all state institutions.
He said that irregularities in the construction of public facilities, including roads, bridges, school buildings and hospitals, greatly damaged the interests of the public.
Budihardjo added that corruption eroded the funds that were intended to be spend on public facilities, resulting in the generally low quality of public facilities in Indonesia.
In order to improve its oversight and control function, the IPW also said the public should file reports with it on any irregularities they were aware of. Reports can be mailed to P.O. Box 8877 JKSTB or conveyed by phone or fax at (021) 8296452. Reports can also be sent via e-mail at: ipwatch@cbn.net.id