Minister Of Communication And Information Budi Arie Meets Jokowi To Report BTS Development To Be Completed 2023

Minister of Communication and Information (Menkominfo) Budi Arie Setiadi gave a press statement after being received by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta, Tuesday (25/7/2023). BETWEEN/Indra Arief Pribadi

JAKARTA - Minister of Communication and Information (Menkominfo) Budi Arie Setiadi said he conveyed to President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) that the 4G transceiver station (BTS) construction project will be completed as planned in 2023.

"Later there will be progress, it will be full of surprises. Don't worry and we have already told the President,'sure sir this year it will be completed'," said Budi Arie after being received by President Jokowi at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta, as reported by ANTARA, Tuesday, July 25.

Budi also reported to the President that he had met with Attorney General ST Burhanuddin regarding the completion of the 4G BTS project. He and the Attorney General agreed that the legal issues in the BTS project would be resolved by the Prosecutor's Office, while the progress of BTS development would still run in all regions in Indonesia.

According to Budi, the Ministry of Communication and Information, the Attorney General's Office, is conducting a review of the BTS 4G project which is already underway and is underway. This is to see if the production price of each BTS tower is in a reasonable or too expensive category.

If there are indications that the BTS project is too expensive, then Budi said he would re-evaluate in order to reduce the potential for state inefficiency or loss.

Minister of Communication and Information Budi has not been able to explain the details of the remaining budget and the number of BTS towers to be built in the remainder of this year because he is waiting for a study from the Ministry of Communication and Information, and the Prosecutor's Office to be completed, and also referring to the results of the audit by the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP).

"Optimistic (completed in 2023) with our cooperation, Bakti, the Attorney General's Office in assisting BPKP as well as in audit matters," he said.

Budi said that his party would also cooperate with the TNI and Polri for the construction of BTS in areas that have a high vulnerability in terms of security.

"The challenge, for example, is that in Papua there is news, right, there are eight people who have died due to security concerns, right. Earlier, the President also told me that the TNI and Polri would later back up for the Papua region," he said.

In March 2022, eight BTS project workers were shot dead by armed criminal groups (KKB) in Beoga District, Puncak Regency, Papua.

Budi also hopes that the completion of the 4G BTS project construction will not require additional budget.

"All options are being formulated, we discuss, reviewed, later we will talk with other ministries and institutions, including Finance Minister Sri Mulyani. I hope there is no need to save and renegotiate, we can use the budget to cover the regions," said Budi Arie.

The 4G BTS project has been ongoing since 2006, but in the implementation of the 2020-2021 fiscal year, law enforcement officers found indications of allegations of corruption that cost state finances up to Rp8 trillion and involved former Minister of Communication and Information Johnny G Plate as a suspect. Previously, based on the explanation of Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD, the BTS 4G tower construction project and supporting infrastructure consisted of five packages carried out by the Ministry of Communication and Information Telecommunications and Information Accessibility Agency (Bakti) for the 2020-2024 period. The project value reached Rp28 trillion.