Timang-Timang Nasib TGUPP Sayang

Governor Anies Baswedan (Irfan Meidianto / VOI)

JAKARTA - DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan opened his voice on criticism of the Governor's Team for the Acceleration of Development (TGUPP) at a meeting of the DKI DPRD Budget Board (Banggar). Various kinds of criticism were leveled by members of the council.

Starting from the 67 members, the budget burden for 2020 reached IDR 19.8 billion, but its performance cannot be evaluated, until it is known that one member is concurrently serving as the supervisory board in seven DKI Regional Hospitals.

From the various criticisms that have come, Anies continues to defend his team. The former Minister of Education and Culture considers that this criticism is only an expression of a sinme from a political party that did not carry him during the 2017 DKI Jakarta Gubernatorial Election.

In fact, Anies considers the reason the DPRD always attacks TGUPP because the regional strategic programs prepared by TGUPP are deemed effective and claimed to support its success.

"The opposition always directs its criticisms. Then observes, these are the things that make the Provincial Government's performance successful. That's where it has been criticized the most. And TGUPP plays a very instrumental role," said Anies at City Hall, Central Jakarta, Tuesday, December 10th.

"Because of that, for me, the more criticism related to TGUPP, it means that TGUPP's performance is increasingly being felt," he added.

In fact, at the Banggar Meeting on Monday, December 9, all factions agreed to cut the number of TGUPP members from 67 to 50 people. Both the opposition and the party supporting Anies agreed that the fat posture of TGUPP was allegedly hampering the work of SKPD (dinas and BUMD).

However, Anies was reluctant to comment on the reduction in the number of TGUPP members. He just stood by the rules he made himself, namely Governor Regulation Number 16 of 2019 concerning TGUPP.

"I don't want to argue about that. That's the decision about the Pergub," he said.

There were two different treatments from Anies to TGUPP and SKPD when both of them had problems in the budget submission process. If TGUPP is protected, SKPD is different.

Take for example when the Department of Tourism and Culture (DIsparbud) submitted a budget for influencer fees in 2020 of IDR 5 billion. Before long, the budget was removed and the Head of DKI Jakarta Disparbud Edy Junaedi resigned from his position.

Then, when the excitement of several strange budgets such as glue shame amounted to Rp. 82.8 billion, the Head of DKI Jakarta Bappeda Sri Mahendra also resigned. There was no defense from Anies. Anies just let them go.

The Executive Director of the Median Survey Institute, Rico Marbun, understands why Anies treats TGUPP and SKPD differently.

TGUPP, according to Rico, has a closer personal relationship with Anies. Anies includes TGUPP in his inner circle. It can be seen from the contents of the TGUPP Pergub which states that only Anies can evaluate their performance.

Allegedly, the current TGUPP members were Anies' success team or volunteers during the 2017 DKI Pilgub period. Then, it is not impossible that TGUPP will be Anies' success team again in the upcoming 2024 General Election.

"Politically, TGUPP not only has the function of helping Anies in the governor's policies. From a political perspective, the work of TGUPP members is important for Anies' political future, including for 2024," said Rico when contacted by VOI.

Likewise, the Executive Director of the Indonesia Political Review (IPR), Ujang Komarudin, also suspected that TGUPP had played a project game.

This is because one of the tasks of TGUPP is to monitor the budget design process at the SKPD level. Moreover, the composition of TGUPP Anies members is different from the TGUPP era of Joko Widodo and Basuki Tjahaja Purnama.

"In its early history, TGUPP was formed to help governors and deputy governors whose work is overloaded," said Ujang.

"But over time, TGUPP was filled with teams and volunteers. And because of its strategic position, many TGUPP members played projects," he continued.