0 Another agency marred by graft

The Jakarta Education Agency has vowed to thoroughly examine the institution following reports it experienced the most embezzlement of all administrations in Indonesia. In its annual report, the Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK) announced that Jakarta was the administration with the most embezzlement of educational funds, with 58.6 percent of transactions labeled as suspicious. The administrations with the second and third worst education fund records were North Sumatra with 10.7 percent and Riau with 7.9 percent. 

Jakarta Education Agency chief Taufik Yudi Mulyanto said that the agency would evaluate his institution following the publication of the findings by the PPATK. “I will first consult with the PPATK and see whether they have any suggestions about what action I should take,” Taufik said Friday. Jakarta, which has the largest budget of all provinces in the country, allocates the bulk of its annual budget to education. “We are managing a very large fund compared to other administrations, which involves many officials and treasurers,” Taufik said. 

Taufik agreed that as an agency chief, he has the authority to make payments and approval for payments but denied he had misused the power. Last year, out of the total budget of Rp 41.6 trillion the administration allocated Rp 11.5 trillion (US$1.2 billion) to education. In its budget proposal for this year, the administration allotted Rp 12.62 trillion, or 29.72 percent of the planned budget of Rp 46.8 trillion, for the purpose. Taufik said embezzlement could happen in a number of divisions that distribute the Education Operational Aid (BOP) funds. 

Taufik said the agency would take stern measures against any corruption unearthed in his institution. The PPATK said that embezzlement was suspected to have occurred through the central government special allocation funds (DAK), city allocation funds, grants and school operation funds (BOS). Jakarta Deputy Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama said he had yet to receive the names of people allegedly involved in the embezzlement. “Any official will be removed from their post if proven guilty,” Ahok said. 

Last year, the PPATK announced that the Jakarta administration had the highest rate of possible corruption cases out of any province in the country. The PPATK said that Jakarta’s rate was 46.7 percent, followed by West Java (6 percent), North Sumatra (4 percent), Central Java (3.5 percent) and Aceh and South Kalimantan (2.1 percent). The center said that most cases of corruption in the regional administration involved the embezzlement of funds transferred to the bank account of the respective administration’s treasurer.

— JP/Andreas D. Arditya
source : the jakarta post