Not Critical, Formappi: The DPR's Budget Supervision Function Is Messed Up

The atmosphere of the plenary session at the DPR-RI (Photo: Diah Ayu / VOI)

JAKARTA - The Parliament Concerned Community Forum (Formappi) evaluates the performance of the DPR RI in terms of its supervisory function. According to Formappi, apart from the legislative function, the DPR's/Parliament's oversight and budget functions were in chaos.

Executive Director of Formappi I Made Leo Wiratma said that the DPR's plan in the budget sector looks chaotic, where according to the Bamus Meeting during the III session of 2020-2021 the DPR will evaluate the implementation of the 2020 Fiscal Year (TA) APBN.

Meanwhile, at the opening of the session, the Chairman of the DPR, Puan Maharani, stated that the DPR, through the DPR's apparatus, would continue to strengthen the implementation of the 2021 State Budget as a stimulus for national economic recovery.

Formappi noted that out of 11 Commissions in the DPR, only 8 commissions held meetings to evaluate the implementation of the 2020 FY State Budget by ministries and non-ministerial state institutions. Namely commission I, commission III, commission IV, commission V, commission VI, commission VII, commission VIII, and commission X.

"This means that there are 3 commissions that do not evaluate their partners. Those are commissions II, IX, and XI", Made said in an online press conference, Sunday, March 7.

Also, the DPR is not critical in evaluating the budget implementation of ministries/agencies in the 2020 Fiscal Year, even though there is a very low budget realization.

The free trade area and port of Batam (BP Batam) is only 77.04% and the concession of the free trade area and free port of Sabang (BP Sabang) only reaches 65.12%.

"Surprisingly, the DPR actually appreciated and accepted the explanations of the two institutions. The DPR should have pressed so that uptake increased", Made emphasized.

The DPR was also not firm with the government who arbitrarily changed the budget structure set out in the 2021 State Budget.

On November 25, 2020, President Joko Widodo submitted the Budget Implementation List (DIPA) and the Transfer Allocation List to Regions and Villages (TKDD) for TA 2021 to the ministries of agencies and the Regional Government.

At the submission of the DIPA and TKDD, the President emphasized the speed and accuracy that are characters in the implementation of policies, both in the health and economic sectors.

However, a few days later, on 18 December 2020, the Minister of Finance issued Regulation No. 208/PMK.02/2020 concerning Procedures for Budget Revision for Fiscal Year 2021. The PMK was followed up again with the issuance of a Circular Letter (SE) of the Minister of Finance No. S-30/MK.02/2021 concerning Refocusing and Reallocation of Expenditures for Ministries/Agencies for the TA 2021.

"Arbitrary changes to the 2021 State Budget by the government in the event that the Ministry of Finance is not critically responded to by the DPR even though their constitutional rights have been violated, they are silent and even appear to comply with the wishes of the government", said Made.

Then, regarding the budget cuts for FY 2021 for the sake of savings, the DPR commissions only stated that they had listened to the explanation and agreed.

"The commission's attitude shows that the DPR is powerless when it comes to dealing with the policies of the Minister of Finance", said Made.