The Government Has Not Payed IDR 196 Billion Self-isolation Facility Debt, PHRI Asks BPKP To Speed Up Auditing Process

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) has asked the Development and Finance Supervisory Agency (BPKP) to speed up the audit process for paying government debts that use hotel rooms as an independent isolation facility for COVID-19 patients. The goal is that arrears of IDR 196 billion can be paid immediately.

Chairman of the Regional Management Agency (BPD) PHRI Sutrisno Iwantono said there were 19 hotels providing isolation services for COVID-19 patients in DKI Jakarta that had not yet received payment. With respect to these hotels, he said the government had arrears of IDR 196 billion

"We want it to be paid immediately, but it must be audited first or what to do. So please hurry up", he told reporters, Thursday, July 29.

Sutrisno said the hundreds of billions of debt occurred because the government was in arrears in paying for hotel services that were used for self-isolation for five months from January to May 2021. On average the hotels used had five-star facilities.

Until now, said Sutrisno, representatives of PHRI and the government have not established further communication regarding debt payments. In fact, according to him, the bright spot related to debt repayment has not yet been obtained by both parties.

"Now it's still in the BPKP audit. How can it be done until now it has not been liquidated", he said.

Previously, General Chairperson of Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Entrepreneurs (PHRI) Hariyadi Sukamdani said that currently, the bill payment was awaiting approval from the Directorate General of Budget, Ministry of Finance.

Furthermore, he said, the bill was included in the budget allocation for the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), which was the first to apply for assistance to hotels in the regions.

Hariyadi hopes that in the future there will be a faster and better payment pattern so that business actors do not have to wait too long for the disbursement of funds if this collaboration is continued.

"For some areas, such as in Bandung, there is self-isolation paid for by the government, the provincial government pays 50 percent first if I'm not mistaken, then payments every two weeks", he said in a virtual press conference, Wednesday, July 21.