Why Is Anies So Reactive In Interpellation And How Crucial Is The Answer To Formula E Budget Problems?

JAKARTA - The issue of Governor Anies Baswedan's interpellation regarding Formula E is still rolling in the DKI Jakarta DPRD. PSI and PDIP applied for the rights. Anies gathered seven other factions in the DPRD. After the meeting, seven factions declared their rejection of the interpellation. Anies said he was relaxed. But the reaction is still interesting. Why is Anies so reactive if his policy is not problematic?

Previously, we first understand what is meant by interpellation. Interpellation is a basic right of the legislature, which in this context is regulated by DKI Jakarta DPRD Regulation Number 1 of 2020, to be precise in Chapter VIII concerning the Implementation of the Rights of DPRD and Members of DKI DPRD.

Article 120 explains that the right of interpellation is the right of the DPRD to request information from the governor regarding regional government policies that are important and strategic and have a broad impact on the life of society and the state. Why can't Anies just obey the basic rights?

"The interpellation only contains the right to ask questions and ask for information. So it's actually a normal thing. Why there is a scene, it's because of the politics. Except for the right to ask questions because there is an investigation," said Trisakti University public policy observer Trubus Rahadiansyah to VOI, Tuesday, August 31st.

Anies' move to gather seven DPRD factions was also seen as minor by Trubus. Trubus encouraged Anies to answer this interpellation as governor, instead of showing the typical attitudes of practical politics to avoid responsibilities as a regional leader.

"The governor shouldn't need to panic to gather seven factions to eat. If this contradicts his own jargon, it always seems as if he must be argumentative. Just say it argumentatively. He (Anies) must appear as the Governor who is responsible for explaining this," Trubus said.

Furthermore, Trubus saw that Anies' insistence on implementing Formula E was nothing more than his way of fighting for the budget. Especially if you look at the lack of readiness of the DKI Provincial Government, even PT Jakarta Propertindo (Jakpro), the party appointed as the organizer.

"I see that Jakpro as the executor is also not ready. The director is new. Moreover, there is no experience at all with Formula E. They will not have any readiness except to fight for the 4 trillion budget."

"So the budget is for bancakan but under the guise of organizing Formula E. If it's not implemented, the governor is also responsible for the Rp400 billion down payment. It's like crossing a wet river. It's impossible to go back."

PSI faction DPRD member Justin Adrian claimed that the interpellation was not political, especially with the intention of bringing down Anies. It's just that PSI wants to know what made Anies insist on holding Formula E in the midst of a budget deficit and difficulties in the midst of a pandemic.

PSI found three irregularities. The first is the matter of the DKI Provincial Government which has not implemented the revised feasibility study (FS) Formula E, as recommended by the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK). Second, about the fate of the interest on the return of the commitment fee.

"The payment of a fee of Rp 560 billion was made 1.5 years ago, so that the money settles and generates interest. We have repeatedly asked the fate of this interest money at various DPRD meetings with executives, but the DKI Provincial Government seems to have avoided it without explanation," he said. Justin, contacted by VOI, Tuesday, August 31.

Third, regarding the authority of the Youth and Sports Agency (Dispora) to pay the Formula E fee. Whereas the contract for the implementation of Formula E is between the BUMD PT Jakarta Propertindo (Jakpro) and Formula E Operations Limited (FEO).

"However, the Department of Youth and Sports is the party that spends the money to pay the Formula E fee of Rp 560 billion," said Justin.

The issue of budget is crucial. Member of the PDIP faction of the DKI Jakarta DPRD, Manuara Siahaan, said that there was a potential for budget waste of up to Rp. 4.483 trillion during the five seasons of Formula E. So he considered this interpellation the right forum for Anies to explain the calculations of the Formula E budget that burdened the DKI Jakarta APBD.

"There is the potential for a budget waste of Rp4.48 trillion, which consists of a commitment fee of a total of Rp.2.3 trillion, implementation costs of Rp.1.2 trillion, and a bank guarantee of Rp.890 billion," said Manuara at the DKI DPRD Building, Tuesday, August 31.

Manuara explained that the calculations he explained did not refer to the feasibility study (FS) of Formula E that had previously been made by PT Jakpro. Manuara highlighted the study, which he said did not include a five-year commitment fee and bank guarantee components. With PT Jakpro's calculation, it appears that there is a potential profit of IDR 2.579 trillion.

The problem is that the commitment fee and bank guarantee are charged from the APBD. So, like it or not, it has to be included in the expenses. So when the commitment fee component is included, Formula E is actually considered a potential loss.

And the matter of including the commitment fee in the feasibility study has become a recommendation from the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK), which until now has not been followed up by the DKI Provincial Government. "If Formula E is enforced in 2022, because of the multi-year nature of the event, cumulatively at the end of the event it will see a loss of IDR 1.3 trillion," said Manuara.

Furthermore, Manuara said the purpose of this interpellation was for the DKI Provincial Government to divert Formula E's budget for other more useful programs, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

DKI Jakarta DPRD member, PSI faction Justin Adrian, explained a number of budget allocations that could be an alternative to the implementation of Formula E. First, access to clean water has only reached 60 percent and must be pursued by the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government. "There are so many leaks that our NRW (non-revenue water) is almost half of the 60 percent.

"The lack of access to water also contributes to the subsidence of Jakarta's land surface because limited access makes the exploitation of deep groundwater more rampant. Land subsidence is clearly one of the contributors to flooding in Jakarta."

Regarding flood prevention, Justin highlighted a number of things related to the addition of minimal channel capacity, including widening the river body. "Especially for flood control, during Anies' tenure, it is also difficult for us to find which rivers have become wider, so that even though he has been in office for 4 years, managing hundreds of trillions of APBD, floods are even more frequent."

Another problem is Jakarta's waste that reaches thousands of tons per day, congestion, pollution, population explosion, poor urban planning, and other things that are far more urgent than holding a racing festival that costs trillions. "Plus the other COVID-19 variants that have not yet entered Indonesia, there are still too many for the DKI Provincial Government to take care of."

Members of the DKI Jakarta DPRD from the PDIP Manuara faction conveyed the same thing. According to him, the amount of the budget can be used to distribute millions of groceries to people in need.

"We can allocate the simulation figures for 7.4 million basic necessities to poor families. We can supply it for two months," said Manuara.

He also explained the potential for other assistance that could be diverted from the cost of organizing Formula E. The RP4,487 trillion could be used to distribute scholarships from elementary to college level to 38 thousand students. The money can also be a stimulus for 3.7 million MSMEs with IDR 1.2 million each.

Alternatively, the money can also be diverted to build 88 new schools or 44 hospitals in Jakarta. "This is the value that if we convert, if we reallocate Formula E, this is roughly the comparison," said Manuara.

*Follow other information about FORMULA E or read other interesting articles from Diah Ayu Wardani and Yudhistira Mahabharata.