BPK Asks Riau Islands Provincial Government To Return Excess Office Travel Spending Rp600 Million

Main Auditor of the Investigation of BPK RI Hery Subowo. (ANTARA/Ogen)

TANJUNGPINANG - The Financial Audit Agency (BPK) asked 21 Regional Apparatus Organizations (OPD) within the Riau Islands Provincial Government to return the excess of Rp600 million in official travel expenditures to the regional treasury.

"Some of it has been returned to the regional treasury, the remaining is around Rp. 600 million again," said BPK Main Investigation Auditor Hery Subowo after the Plenary Meeting for Submission of BPK's LHP on the Riau Islands Provincial Government Financial Report for Fiscal Year 2021 at the Dompak Island DPRD building, Tanjungpinang, as reported by Antara, Friday, May 20.

Hery said the excess spending on official travel in the 21 OPDs was one of BPK's findings in the Riau Islands Provincial Government Financial Examination Report (LHP) for the 2021 Fiscal Year.

However, he said, this did not affect the awarding of the 12th consecutive Unqualified Opinion (WTP) on the Riau Islands Provincial Government's financial statements.

"The findings of the excess cost of official travel are still far below the reality, so the problem is not so important and affects the opinion of the PAPs," said Hery.

His party recommended the Governor of Riau Islands Ansar Ahmad that the 21 OPDs carrying out official trips then convey the costs of official travel according to actual conditions.

"The Riau Islands Provincial Government must be more careful in verifying ASN official travel expense documents," he said.

Hery said that the Riau Islands Provincial Government was given the next 60 days to complete the findings of excess travel expenses at 21 local OPDs.

"According to the applicable law, BPK's findings must be followed up for 60 days," he emphasized.