[POLITICS] Andi Yuliani Paris | About The Strange Crying Of Ministry Budget Formulation

Andi Yuliani Paris (Detha Arya Tifada / VOI)

Member of Commission VII DPR RI Andi Yuliani Paris cried in the middle of the Hearing Meeting (RDP) with the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Arifin Tasrif. Critics of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources wasteful budget were raised with tears. We chatted with him, deepening his thinking and critical foundation.

We arrived at Century Park Hotel, Senayan, South Jakarta at Maghrib time. According to the promise we made with Andi Yuliani Paris. We headed to the hotel lobby after passing a series of health protocols. In the lobby, we again contacted Andi.

Before long, Andi appeared in a brown batik pattern along his arm. Part of his face was covered by an N-95 mask. He then invited us to climb one floor of the stairs. He takes this interview seriously. Andi guided us to a calmer place. It's quiet.

"Can you start already?" he said a moment after putting his cell phone on the red clothed table he was riding in.

Andi immediately explained what happened to him in the middle of the Hearing Meeting (RDP) with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) on 19 January. Andi said at that time, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources admitted that they could not create many programs for farmers and fishermen because of the pandemic.

Photo illustration of a farmer (Source: Commons Wikimedia)

Makes no sense, to him. In Andi's eyes, the COVID-19 pandemic should be the right momentum to increase the means of production of the community. Even if there are problems in the procurement of goods, according to Andi, it is only technical issues that should be handled by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources as the policy operator.

"This means that there is something that must be improved from this republic, related to the budgeting mechanism. It is a bit tired for the DPR because currently the government is making it, bringing it to the DPR, the DPR only discusses. "

Andi Yuliani in RDP at the DPR Building (Source: YouTube screenshot)

"In my opinion, if the DPR has a budget function in accordance with the Basic Law (UUD), it must start with the DPR. So we are the representatives of the people. The government is only the executor, the budgeting is in the DPR. But this is the government that compiles, then brought to the DPR, we only discussed, "Agreed." We agree. Even though that may not be what society needs. "

Andi Yuliani

Andi further encouraged the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources to return the role of studies and recommendations to its Research and Development Agency (R & D). Research and Development, said Andi, has the function of carrying out studies and providing recommendations based on the results of the study. From there, the derivative is an efficient policy for society. Studies can also form the basis of policy oversight.

"The work should be R & D for studies and recommendations. Then the work of the Directorate General. He is the executive of the recommendation coach. So, then we have to see which ones are redundant (redundant). The proof, he is just that, if the study ends up creating a policy and there was a sequence of it, so, it's okay. But sometimes he is, for example the Director General of Electricity at ESDM, yes, he has a study, who is the study useful for, yes, PLN. Yes, does PLN know or not? That's it. He should have sat together, the study and the title, there is a study, there is a policy, there is candy, there is a recommendation. "

Budget game

In other words, any recommendations that will be published must be clear. Budget games like this have always happened in many ministries. Not guesswork. Andi cited his experience sitting in the Parliament Building for three terms which gave him this view.

According to records, Andi has indeed gone through a long period as a legislative member: 2004-2009, 2009-2014, and 2019-2024. What happened in the RPD that day, said Andi, was the peak of his anxiety.

"So, that means, I see, I am sad, that means why the ministry, not only the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, like I was in the DPR, in 2004 I was with the National Land Agency (BPN), with the Ministry of Home Affairs, I saw that they had many programs. budget, a lot for their own (priorities). The form of travel money, meeting fees, and so on. "

Andi also explained the various oddities in the budget preparation of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources. The costs spent on making ministerial regulations (candy) reached 4.9 billion, for example. A ready to waste and waste money, said Andi. Because, in essence, candy is a direct policy of a minister. He saw no real need to spend money in that endeavor.

Likewise in making recommendations and studies. Andi said, if the average results of the study were dissected, he often failed to find new things. Lack of significant improvisation. Even so, the ministry often forces it into budget priorities.

Andi Yuliani in an interview with VOI (Mery Handayani / VOI)

"Now it looks like we (DPR) are still stamps. Moreover, there is Law (UU) No.1 / 2020 concerning the Use of Funds for Handling COVID-19, the government cannot be sued in the realm of law. Then, secondly, we are only left over, yes, just spend the government, we don't have any more rights, DPR. So, the DPR's budgetary rights have been stripped of the law. "

Andi Yuliani

"I also tried hard yesterday for learning so that in 2022 they won't mess around with this. We have less and less budget for the people. If a lot of portions are taken by them, fortunately that is the case. Pity please. "

Since his early days as people's representative, Andi has been skeptical of the APBN budgeting mechanism. The ministerial budget in general is more for satisfying people in the internal agencies. The reason, said Andi, is easy to guess, namely because making a study or recommendation is intangible (invisible). The output is that the use of the budget cannot be examined by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK).

Andi has observed this problem in budgeting since 2004. He said that almost all ministries have done the same thing. Therefore, if the said budget was allocated for programs that were of direct benefit to the people, it would have been more pronounced.

Society can make many activities out of that money. As a result, the budget for the community is entirely for them. Enjoyed by the community, and used properly for the needs of the community.

"But sometimes, if we look at it, it's a budget, we have to look at the budget in the preparation, it's enormous. And it's usually just travel money, meeting money, renovation money. It is also sad that in this time of COVID-19, the Ministry of Institutions (KL), there are a lot of renovation funds, so it should still be postponed. Yes, we just want the DPR to renovate or not, the elevator is stuck, we can't. We are the ones approving their budget and we come to their office, the offices are all amazingly luxurious. We agree. In fact, it doesn't matter. "

Andi Yuliani

Admire Ali Sadikin

Ali Sadikin's admirer, Andi Yuliani described himself. Young Andi is a person who is crazy about progressivity. He is always hungry for change. So he carried himself time after time. He also did not compromise much, an attitude which according to him was inspired by Ali Sadikin's figure who was known to be stubborn.

Andi's view is similar to how senior journalist Rosihan Anwar saw the figure of Ali Sadikin. Rosihan considered Ali Sadikin inherited his stubbornness, which in Dutch is "koppig." His father inherited that trait.

However, President Soekarno also made Ali Sadikin the governor of DKI Jakarta. In the book “Petite Histoire” Indonesia's Little History Volume 3 (2009), Rosihan Anwar tells that before Ali Sadikin was made Governor of Jakarta, all candidates were rejected by Soekarno.

After that, the Deputy Prime Minister, Dr. Leimena offered the figure of Ali Sadikin to Soekarno. "There is Ali Sadikin, but someone is a stubborn person," said Leimena. Bung Karno then said that in order to take care of Jakarta it is necessary "een beetje koppigheid, a bit of a rock head.

Former Governor of DKI Jakarta Ali Sadikin (Source: Commons Wikimedia)

That cooperative nature then inspired Andi when he was young. Change, said Andi, can be achieved by "stubbornness." This nature was the background for his decision, when he graduated from the Bogor Agricultural University (1984–1988), Andi refused the opportunity to become a civil servant (PNS). He chose another opportunity to become assistant manager in a cooperation program between the Indonesian government and the German Technical Cooperation (GMZ).

Andi said, at that time the opportunity to become a civil servant was a contested door. And the door was actually wide open for Andi because his father was a high official. But he turned away from the ease. He went to Pasaman, West Sumatra to start his career.

"But (the word) my father is actually good. He wanted me to apply for the Kompas newspaper. Then I was interviewed here (Jakarta). I was put on that project. From Padang City four hours. Anyway in the forest. I feel I enjoy it. Because I have to foster the community, develop the community's economy, help develop community infrastructure, including helping small-scale economic activities, so I was able to build Lumbung Pitih Nagari together with the West Sumatra Regional Development Bank (BPD). "

Andi outside the Parliament

Andi said he was a person who always saw the people. He builds his character through direct contact with the community. Andi describes this through his story of living in a village in West Sumatra, how he mingles with the lives of local residents: bathing in the river, fostering the village economy, and forming the Community Empowerment Institute (LPM) and Lumbung Pitih Nagari.

The experience felt spiritual, he said. Give a big influence in shaping his character. Andi realized that life is the best that can benefit and benefit others. That's why Andi helped develop agriculture, irrigation, and formed a women's cooperative in Pasaman. At the international level, Andi, as a gender expert is also directly involved as an expert for the International Labor Organization (ILO).

At home in Pasaman, Andi founded a non-governmental organization (NGO) called the Center for Information & Development of Rural Resources in West Sumatra (1988-1993). The NGO was founded with the aim of nurturing women from an economic perspective, saving and borrowing, and teaching them to think ahead, especially in terms of economic independence.

Andi Yuliani in an interview with VOI (Mery Handayani / VOI)

"So that means I started something from teaching people to progress independently. Independent in economy. Various kinds, including many. Starting from agriculture, weaving, including teaching them to manage money. So, I was inspired, later you can see Google, so I taught them about the principles of Prime Bank from Bangladesh. So, they save and borrow, but also they can learn to live healthy because I also have the responsibility to reduce infant mortality. "

Andi then continued his master's education in Management and Planning at the University of Dortmund. He spent three years studying through the scholarship provided by the European Union Community.

Another important moment in decision making in Andi's life occurred when he removed his S3 scholarship from the Australian government assistance program, AusAID, to Australia. Andi reasoned that he gave up the scholarship because he didn't want to be away from his family.

He finally chose Hasanuddin University, Makassar to continue his education in the field of Public Administration. Andi said the reason for choosing the department was to make a more focused contribution to many people in Indonesia. For the same reason Andi decided to enter politics and pursue a seat in the DPR.

"So, even if I became a member of the DPR, I am nothing, there are no interests, if possible now there are many entrepreneurs in the DPR. One of them is because I feel that if I have fought upstream, the public can't get anything from the budget, that's one (struggle) I want to be a politician. "

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