Jember DPRD Asks BPK To Audit COVID-19 Budget Investigation Demands Unclear Appearance Of IDR 107 Billion

JEMBER - The Jember Regency DPRD asked the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) to conduct a special audit or investigation of the 2020 COVID-19 budget. The DPRD sent a special audit request letter to the East Java Representative BPK.

"In the BPK Examination Report (LHP) on the 2020 Jember Regional Government Financial Report (LKPD) it was found that the COVID-19 unexpected aid budget of Rp107 billion could not be accounted for," said Jember DPRD chairman M Itqon Syauqi, quoted by Antara, Thursday, June 10. .

According to him, the Jember Regency Government during the reign of the Regent of Jember Faida allocated a large enough budget for handling COVID-19 in 2020, reaching IDR 479 billion through refocusing the unexpected budget (BTT).

The report document on the results of the BPK examination stated that the total spending of the Task Force reached Rp220.5 billion, but as much as Rp107 billion without the ratification of a letter of responsibility (SPJ), so that the completeness of the SPJ for spending in handling COVID-19 was only Rp74.7 billion.

Then the remaining Rp18.9 billion of funds were contained as cash in the regional general treasury account at the Regional General Treasurer (BUD) before finally there was a return of Rp17.8 billion each in 2020 and Rp1.8 billion in 2021.

"Based on these findings, the leadership of the Jember DPRD agreed to ask the BPK to conduct a special audit with a specific purpose because there is Rp107 billion in state money for handling COVID-19 which cannot be accounted for," said the Jember PKB politician.

He hopes that the results of the BPK's recommendations will be in the special audit of the 2020 COVID-19 budget and if there is a potential for state financial losses, it can be processed by law enforcement officials.

"If the results of the BPK investigation audit later mention the potential for state losses, then the matter can be delegated to law enforcement officers because there is the potential for corruption to occur in the spending of BTT COVID-19 funds," he said.

Previously, the East Java BPK gave an unfair opinion to the Jember Regency Government (Pemkab) on the regional government financial report (LKPD) for the 2020 fiscal year because there were seven material points that caused the Jember LKPD not to be presented fairly, one of which was that there was no ratification of the Year Budget. 2020 budget.