Jakarta Provincial Government is reportedly not yet pay the bills for the project of Jakarta Emergency Dredging Initiative (JEDI) phase III to third party. The payment is stalled because the Head of Jakarta Public Works Department, Manggas Rudi Siahaan, as the Budget User (PA), refused to sign the project’s payment documents.

If Mr. Siahaan did not want to sign the documents, that’s okay, we will look for new department head

According to City Secretary Saefullah, JEDI is a project of central government and Jakarta Provincial Government that aims to fix the drainage system in Jakarta through dredging and rehabilitation as flooding mitigation. Jakarta Provincial Government is responsible for managing JEDI project work in phase III. At this time, the completion of construction has reached 52 percent, thus the third party wants payment.

“To pay the bills must first ask to the Finance Ministry where the money exists. And to disburse the money, there should be signature of Head of Jakarta Public Works Department as the budget user in the billing documents. However, Mr. Siahaan refused to sign the documents,” uttered Saefullah, Sunday (10/26).

Moreover, Saefullah disclosed that Siahaan refused to sign the documents because he already gave the Budget User Authority (KPA) to the Head of Water Resources Division. On the other hand, Finance Ministry obligates the one who signs the documents is the PA or department head.

This matter will be discussed further in the executive meeting today, Monday (10/27), together with the Legal Bureau, Financial Management Body (BPKD), and Development Finance Comptroller (BPKP). Later, the meeting result will be communicated with the Finance Ministry. If Finance Ministry’s regulation remains unchanged and Mr. Siahaan still refuses to sign the billing documents, he might be demoted.

“I’ve asked Mr. Siahaan, ‘Why you refused to sign? What are you afraid of until you delegated to KPA?’. The probability of this project being marked up is zero percent, it must have been controlled well. So, I think there is no danger, so just please sign it. But if Mr. Siahaan did not want to sign the documents, that’s okay, we will look for new department head,” stated Saefullah.