JAKARTA - Secretary of the PDIP DPRD DKI Faction Jhonny Simanjuntak explained the reason for the DKI DPRD to hold a meeting to discuss regional budgets in the Puncak area, Bogor, West Java in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jhonny said, the joint meeting with the DKI Provincial Government which was attended by around 800 people could not possibly be held in the DPRD Building because of the limitation on the number of people in the room to a maximum of 50 percent of capacity.
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, maintain distance, and the ventilation system in the room is open," said Jhonny when contacted, Thursday, October 22.
In fact, Jhonny also admitted that he had proposed that a meeting to discuss changes to the DKI Jakarta Regional Budget for the 2020 fiscal year be held online. However, many other board members felt that virtual meetings were not effective.
"I had an online suggestion, but many disagreed. I was also critical because I questioned why it had to be there (Puncak). But after I went there, how come the meeting was effective," said Jhonny.
Previously, the Secretary General of the Indonesian Forum for Budget Transparency (Fitra), Misbah Hasan, questioned the attitude of the DPRD and the DKI Provincial Government to hold a budget meeting in the Puncak area, Bogor, West Java.
"Meetings outside the city on the grounds of COVID-19 clearly don't make sense. Because the position of exposure to COVID-19 between Jakarta and Bogor is the same as in Puncak, let alone invite hundreds of people like that. That still has the potential to be exposed to COVID-19," said Misbah.
Misbah suspects that there are other indications that the discussion of budget changes to take place outside the DKI DPRD Building. One of the allegations is that budget absorption can increase.
"By discussing the amended APBD outside the city, there are consequences for official travel budgets, accommodation, lodging, and honoraria. I am not sure about the reasons for preventing COVID-19," said Misbah.
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