Meeting At The Summit Is Considered To Have Violated The Rules, The DKI DPRD: When A Pandemic Can Be Tolerated

Atmosphere of the DKI Jakarta APBD-P discussion meeting in Puncak (Photo: DIah / VOI)

JAKARTA - The meeting to discuss the APBD amendment budget between the DKI DPRD and the DKI Provincial Government at the Grand Cempaka Cipayung Hotel, Puncak, Bogor, is considered to have violated the rules because it was not held at the DPRD Building.

DKI DPRD member Jhonny Simanjuntak said the location for this meeting could be tolerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is because the COVID-19 pandemic requires the DPRD to reduce the number of meeting participants by 50 percent from normal capacity.

"Let's just take the current situation, the COVID-19 pandemic, if it's too rigid it won't feel good. If we say we violate, in this situation, what should be too stiff. Except, there is no COVID-19, yes, it should be criticized but in context. now, it's urgent, "said Jhonny when contacted, Thursday, October 22.

Besides, he said, the meeting which was attended by around 800 people between the executive and legislative branches of the DPRD could not be held at the DPRD building due to limited space.

"When the DPRD holds the meeting, usually the participants are booming, there are also offices present, so it piles up. Meanwhile, the commission's space is narrow. We are worried," said Jhonny.

Jhonny said the DPRD was not worried about the potential for COVID-19 transmission during a meeting at the Grand Cempaka Cipayung Hotel, Bogor. This is because the room at that location is quite large and has different air conditions from Jakarta.

"There the air is different from Jakarta. Jakarta is the epicenter of COVID-19. In Grand Cempaka it is large, everything there can spread out, maintain distance, and the ventilation system in the room is open," said the Secretary of the PDIP Fraction of the DKI DPRD.

Previously, the Secretary General of the Indonesian Forum for Budget Transparency (Fitra), Misbah Hasan, said that budget discussion meetings held outside the city were indicated to have violated Government Regulation No. 12/2018 on the Guidelines for the Arrangement of Procedures for Provincial, Regency, and City Representatives Council (DPRD).

Article 91 paragraph (1) of Government Regulation Number 12 of 2018 states that the DPRD Meeting is held in the DPRD building.

Then paragraph 2 explains, if the DPRD meeting cannot be held inside the DPRD building, the implementation of the DPRD meeting outside the DPRD building must pay attention to efficiency and effectiveness and be adjusted to the regional financial capacity.

"Discussions outside the city are clear indications of PP No. 12/2018, yes it is in Article 91. That is clearly a violation of the PP. If it violates the PP, it is a serious enough violation," said Misbah.

Misbah said that the Republic of Indonesia's Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) could conduct an examination of the work meeting held in the Puncak area. "So it can be processed legally because this is a waste of the budget and if it violates the PP it means that it is a serious violation," he explained.