Avoiding Corruption of Social Assistance Volume II, Sri Mulyani Asks The National Police To Guard IDR 699 Trillion PEN Fund

JAKARTA - Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani signed an agreement (Memorandum of Understanding/MoU) with the Indonesian National Police to support the supervision of law enforcement officials so that fraud and abuse do not occur in the National Economic Recovery (PEN) program.

In his statement, Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani said that the 2021 State Budget budgeted for PEN funds of IDR 699.43 trillion. This number increased by about 20 percent from the realization in 2020 which amounted to IDR 579.78 trillion.

"We hope that the National Police, especially from The Criminal Investigation Unit, can provide an escort or even input so that all the state money can actually be achieved towards its goals", she said as quoted on the official website, Wednesday, March 7.

Minister of Finance added, in the MoU, it was explained that each party could find out the data and information needed in the implementation of supervision so that they could provide feedback on the implementation of the economic recovery program.

Not only with the Police, but the supervision of the implementation of the PEN program budget is also carried out systematically by collaborating with various other agencies, such as the inspectorate general at the ministry level and the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP).

"The government is also working with other law enforcement officials, namely the Attorney General's Office and the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to conduct surveillance. Then for externals, we continue to build communication with the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) as the government's external auditor", she said.

As is well known, the 2020 PEN funds are strongly suspected to have been misappropriated in the social assistance sector. The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) then named several suspects, including former Social Minister Juliari Batubara.

Based on previous reports, Juliari is suspected of receiving and giving bribes related to the social assistance program for handling COVID-19 in 2020.

The KPK suspects Juliari to receive IDR 10 thousand from each food package worth IDR 300 thousand per package. The Anti-rasuah Agency believes Juliari is believed to have received between IDR 8.2 billion and IDR 8.8 billion.

"We ask for a variety of supports and good cooperation to be maintained because we have an equally important and equally fundamental task for the nation, and indeed work together will have a very good impact", concluded the Minister of Finance.