PDIP: Formula E Implementation Plan Violated The Rules From The Start

Anies Baswedan with representatives of FIA Formula E (Instagram @aniesbaswedan)

JAKARTA - DKI DPRD PDIP faction member Gilbert Simanjuntak revealed that the plan to organize Formula E had violated the rules from the start.

"From the start, the planning for Formula E activities in Jakarta has violated the rules and abused authority," Gilbert told reporters, Monday, September 20.

Looking back, Anies' desire to hold Formula E began when he stopped by New York, United States after attending an international forum in Colombia in July 2019. In New York, Anies met with the organizers of Formula E.

Returning to Jakarta, Anies revealed to the public that he wanted to hold the electric car racing event. Until finally, the Formula E activity budget was included in the preparation of the Revised Regional Budget (APBD-P) for the 2019 budget year.

Problems start from here, said Gilbert. Formula E activities are included in the DKI budget through the 2019 APBD-P, which was tapped on August 13, 2019, at the DKI DPRD Budget Agency.

"The ratification of the APBD-P into a regional regulation was carried out 13 days before the members of the DPRD for the 2019-2024 period were sworn in on August 26, 2019," said Gilbert.

After that, Anies began paying a commitment fee of £20 million or around Rp360 billion which was paid in two stages, namely on December 23 and December 30, 2019.

The problem is, Gilbert says that paying the commitment fee is against the rules. In Law Number 17 2003 concerning State Finances, Article 28 (3) states that the basis of the APBD-P is inappropriate developments, budget shifts, and the use of SILPA in the previous year, and due to emergency conditions.

"This means that entering Formula E activities and the budget can only be considered an emergency. In fact, everyone knows that there is no emergency, which forces Formula E to be included in the APBD-P," he explained.

Then, Article 17 (2) of the State Finance Law states that the preparation of the APBD is based on the regional work plan (RKPD). However, in fact, the plan for the Formula E event departed from Anies' desire suddenly after the 2019 APBD was ratified.

"The budget needed is so large that it violates rules and abuses authority because it does not come from the RKPD and RPJMD and is entered through the APBD-P," explained Gilbert.

Gilbert admitted that he did not know why the Formula E budget was approved by the majority of council members to be included in the ratification of the 2019 APBD-P, which at that time was knocked by the DKI DPRD for the 2014-2019 period. At that time, Gilbert had not served on the board.

"This is a question for me and my friends in the PDIP Faction for the 2019-2024 period. DKI Bappeda (Regional Development Planning Agency) should explain this," he said.