Apart From Being A Waste Of Budget, Formappi Values The DPR's BURT Work Visit To The United Arab Emirates, A Reason For Traveling Only
JAKARTA - Researcher of the Indonesian Parliamentary Concerned Community Forum (Formappi) Lucius Karus gave a strong criticism of the House Affairs Agency (BURT) of the House of Representatives.
How could I not, after being highlighted about the Rp48.7 billion curtain replacement project which was finally canceled, BURT made a working visit (kunker) to the United Arab Emirates for one week, from May 25 to May 31.
This tour is not the first time this has been done. On Wednesday, May 18 last week, BURT just flew to Turkey to do the same activity.
"So I don't think it's urgent. On the one hand it's a waste, on the one hand, the DPR is embarrassed. Can you go to another parliament to ask something that you can easily find out yourself here?," Lucius explained when contacted by VOI, Wednesday, May 25.
Lucius added that the work of the DPR work tour or the board's equipment did not provide any benefits at all.
The purpose of the work visit, for example, is to listen and learn about facilities, protocols, and budgets to the parliament and the government as well as the Indonesian Embassy in the destination country, which can be obtained easily. Either through library research, the internet or using experts.
Lucius also suspected that this visit was just an excuse so that members of the DPR could take a trip abroad. Moreover, it has been more than two years, an agenda like this cannot be carried out due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I think this is an excuse for pleasure. So if they go abroad, facilities they cannot get if they are not members of the DPR, such as no pick-up, no protocol. So this is something they will miss, they really want to look like state officials in the country. another," he quipped.
Chairman of BURT DPR Agung Budi Santoso explained that BURT members who flew to Turkey and to the United Arab Emirates were different groups.
It's just that the agenda that was held was more or less the same as the visit to Turkey. Agung explained that the council wanted to listen and study related facilities, protocols, and budgets to the parliament and government as well as the Indonesian Embassy in the destination country.
"The group was divided into two, Turkey and the UAE with the same goal," Agung said when confirmed, Wednesday, May 25.
Previously, the DPR BURT canceled the project to replace the curtains, curtains, and blinds for the Membership Offices (RJA) in Kalibata and Ulujami worth IDR 48.7 billion on Tuesday, May 17.
However, after the cancellation of the fantastic project, dozens of BURT members actually went to Turkey to do work tours.
This overseas work visit was also confirmed by the chairman of the DPR BURT, Agung Budi Santoso. Agung denied that the cancellation budget was allocated for the kunker.
He explained that the budget for this work trip to Turkey had been submitted two years ago, but was stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic so it was only realized this year.
"This work visit to Turkey has been proposed since 2 years ago, but because of the pandemic, it can only be approved in 2022, which will be discussed in 2021," Agung told reporters, Wednesday, May 18.
According to Agung, each board (AKD) and commission in the DPR has a budget allocation for work overseas. The Kunker, he said, was certainly related to the duties and work of AKD in the DPR, including the BURT of the DPR.
The Democrat politician explained that the BURT agenda to Turkey was in the context of inter-parliamentary diplomacy. "BURT to Turkey, the agenda is to meet with the parliament and parts of the Turkish government as well as with the Indonesian Embassy in Turkey," he explained.
In addition, said Agung, the DPR BURT also wants to hear directly the position of the Turkish parliamentarians in relation to the protocol of the members of parliament.
"What facilities are received by members of the Turkish Parliament and how much budget is used by the Turkish Parliament," concluded Agung.