KPU car purchases under scrutiny
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