SMS Blast Tender Highlighted Allegedly Raising Firli's Image, KPK Denies: Every Year 300 Thousand More Are Required To Report We Remind

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) confirmed that the SMS marking or SMS Blast tender, which had a budget of Rp. 999.2 million, was never used for anything else. The message system was established to remind officials to immediately submit the State Administrators Wealth Report (LHKPN).

This was conveyed in response to an issue on social media that said KPK Chairman Firli Bahuri deliberately used SMS Blast to raise his image. Moreover, on social media, screenshots of short messages circulated containing anti-corruption messages and ending with the words 'Chairman of the KPK'.

"We sent it to those who are obliged to report, there are more than 300 thousand. Sent to remind," said KPK Deputy Chair Alexander Marwata, quoted from the Indonesian KPK YouTube, Friday, February 18.

Alexander also emphasized that this procurement was not done for the first time. Every year, the KPK always cooperates with other parties to procure the SMS blast.

"Not once, twice. But it becomes a public relations program every year," he said.

Adding to Alexander's statement, Acting Spokesperson for the KPK for Enforcement, Ali Fikri, said that there were several types of notifications received by the mandatory reporting of LHKPN. One of them is an anti-corruption message that functions as a reminder.

"Each one must report to get eight notifications including LHKPN. Including anti-corruption messages as a support," said Ali.

In addition, he also said that the SMS Blast tender had been carried out since 2018 until now. "So it's not only 2022. From 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, every year (there are, ed) for that," he said.

As previously reported, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has actually held a tender for the procurement of SMS Masking or SMS Blast, the funds being sourced from the State Budget (APBN).

Quoted from lpse.kemenkeu.go.id, this tender is called the 2022 LHKPN Masking SMS Procurement. It is stated on the site that the tender stage has now been completed and the work is carried out at the KPK's Red and White Building.

In this tender, there were 19 participants who participated and PT Elpia Internusa Sistematatika won. The company having its address at Ruko BSD Sector 1-1 RC-2 Number 10, Rawabuntu, South Tangserang gave an offer price of Rp.851,554,000.

Actually, there is one other company that also passed the qualification evaluation, qualification verification, administrative evaluation, and technical evaluation, namely PT Smart Millennium Effsiensi. However, it is stated that this company made an offer of Rp.996,998,200 or more from the available budget.