BPK Audit and Infrastructure Governance, Testing Government Transparency

JAKARTA - Observers assess that the resignation of two officials in the Public Works Ministry (PU) in the midst of the spotlight of the findings of the Financial Audit Agency (BPK) needs to be viewed carefully and proportionately, especially regarding the audit process and the period of responsibility for the post.

STIE Madani Balikpapan accounting lecturer, Adi Prihanisetyo, emphasized that the public cannot immediately associate the audit findings with the current officials.

"If the object of the examination is the previous year's activities, of course, the officials in that period are responsible. This is also what needs to be questioned," Adi said in his statement, Tuesday, March 24.

He explained, in the practice of auditing, the initial findings are indicative and not final. Therefore, it is still necessary to clarify the process between the auditor and the audited party.

"The findings of the audit are not necessarily violations. It is still an indication that must be confirmed by both parties," he said.

According to Adi, officials who have just taken office during the audit process are more appropriately positioned as parties who carry out coordination and clarification functions, not directly burdened with responsibility for findings.

He also assessed that resignation does not always mean avoiding responsibility. "It could be done so that the audit process runs more objectively and free from conflicts of interest," he added.

Similarly, a criminal law observer at Trisakti University, Asep Iwan Irawan, emphasized the importance of maintaining the integrity of the audit process in this controversy.

"If the audit is credible, of course the action must be firm. But if the audit is problematic, it can actually damage public confidence," he said.

Asep also highlighted the change in the value of the BPK findings, which fell from almost Rp3 trillion to around Rp1 trillion in a relatively short time. According to him, this needs to be explained openly so as not to create speculation.

Two officials who are in the spotlight are Dewi Chomistriana and Dwi Purwantoro. Both resigned after the results of the BPK audit regarding the potential loss of the state were revealed.

Previously, this controversy also emerged in line with President Prabowo Subianto's statement confirming the commitment to improving government governance.

"I ask everyone in the institution, clean yourself up, or you will be cleaned up later," said Prabowo in an interview at Hambalang, March 17, 2026.

Minister of Public Works Dody Hanggodo explained that his party received two letters from the BPK in January and August 2025. In the first letter, the potential state losses were recorded at almost Rp3 trillion, while in the second letter the value decreased to around Rp1 trillion after further evaluation.

He also said that he had formed a team to accelerate the return of state losses by third parties. "When I used 'clean people' to start working, the person concerned chose to resign," he said.

A number of observers assess that to understand this issue in its entirety, the public needs to see the timeline of the two officials' positions. Dewi is known to have just been inaugurated in January 2025, while Dwi served in July 2025, when the audit process was underway.

With the complexity of infrastructure projects and the size of the PU Ministry's budget, drawing conclusions related to individual responsibilities is considered to be based on comprehensive and transparent data.

Without a thorough explanation of the chronology of the project and the decision-making mechanism, this controversy has the potential to continue to generate various interpretations in the public space.