JAKARTA - Indonesian Audit Watch (IAW) highlighted the stalled Aids to Navigation (AToN) INA-24 project funded by the South Korean EDCF soft loan since 2016. Although the scheme is very light - 40 years in tenor, 0.15 percent interest, and a grace period of 10 years - by 2025 the project has not been completed.
The Founding Secretary of Indonesian Audit Watch (IAW) Iskandar Sitorus emphasized that in the presidential system, responsibility is inherent in the position, not the political period. This means that under the leadership of Prabowo Subianto, all active projects automatically become the responsibility of the current minister.
Therefore, according to IAW, Minister of Transportation Dudy Purwagandhi holds political and administrative responsibilities for accelerating and completing the INA-24 project.
"This means that when foreign loan projects stagnate for almost a decade, the corrective obligation is on the officials who are currently in office," said Iskandar, Thursday, February 19.
Normatively, Law 39/2008 jo. Law 61/2024 stipulates that ministers are responsible for the implementation of government affairs in their fields. Meanwhile, Law 17/2003 and Law 1/2004 require the use of state debt to be carried out economically, effectively, and accountable.
IAW assesses that operational responsibility lies with the Director General of Maritime Transportation and the Director of Navigation as technical managers. If there is a repeated tender, the physical progress is slow, and the reporting is not disciplined, then it is the internal managerial responsibility.
However, if in one year no strategic intervention is seen - such as the formation of a task force, a thorough evaluation, or the preparation of an acceleration roadmap - then the escalatory responsibility remains with the minister as the policy control holder.
According to IAW, chronic delays reflect three governance issues: weak effectiveness, blurred fiscal accountability, and low responsiveness. Debt that continues to run without optimal output is considered to create fiscal inefficiency.
Therefore, IAW urges an audit by the Financial Audit Agency (BPK) as the most relevant instrument.
First, the performance audit based on Law 15/2004 to assess whether the project was implemented economically, efficiently, and effectively; as well as identify deviations and responsible parties.
Second, compliance audits to ensure that loan reporting obligations, deviation control, and project management have been carried out in accordance with regulations.
Third, the Examination with a Specific Purpose (PDTT) to see whether there is a systemic pattern in the foreign loan projects of the transportation sector.
"This audit is not just an administrative examination, but a test of the state's managerial capacity," said Iskandar.
IAW assessed that the state should not allow debt to run without maximum benefits. If the project which started since 2016 remains stagnant in the first year of the new cabinet, then it has become a reflection of the current performance.
"If so, who is responsible for the stalled INA-24 project and why did the BPK audit urge it?" concluded Iskandar.
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