WEST PAPUA – The issue of road construction in several regions in West Papua Province has recently captured public attention.
Since the news about the construction of the Kaimana-Wondama road disappeared from several media outlets, Senator Filep Wamafma began to examine several things related to the realization of construction projects in this province.
As is known, in 2023, there were four road construction projects that took up the West Papua Province APBD budget of IDR157,620,465,000 billion.
“First and foremost, I want to convey to my journalist friends and the people of West Papua as a whole, let us guard all types of development in West Papua,” he said to the media crew on Friday (19/4).
“We should not be silent since we, as the community, can also participate in monitoring things that may have escaped the government’s supervision,” he continued.
Met in his office, Filep emphasized that he had received many reports and complaints about irregularities in road construction in West Papua.
He suspects that this project starts from winning the tender to the implementation or execution of the work.
One to note, the Minister of Finance issued Regulation Number 213 / PMK.06 / 2020 concerning Guidelines for the Implementation of Auctions, which regulates the mechanisms and requirements that apply in conducting auctions.
This regulation has been updated to Permenkeu Number 122 of 2023, with the aim to make the auction service more effective and accountable.
“Now we check it in the field, is it running? If there are reports about the implementation of auctions to execution in the field that are indicated to be not in accordance with the ideals championed by the Permenkeu, then it must be thoroughly investigated,” he said.
Filep claimed that he received news that the budget ceiling disbursed by the government for the Triton-Lobo-Werua-Sisir-Kaimana Road project was IDR49,214,552,000 billion.
Meanwhile, the road construction tender for the project on the Kaimana-Sisir-Werua-Lobo-Triton route reached IDR49,226,762,000 billion.
Then the road construction project on the Werua-Sara-Border of Kaimana Regency route reached IDR49,374,860,000 billion.
And, for the road construction project on the Wombu-Undurara-Border of Kaimana Regency route, the budget ceiling value reaches IDR9,804,291,000 billion.
According to him, these four tenders have been completed using the 2023 APBD budget.
However, he questioned the supervision of these projects after construction.
“Does the public know that the tender for the construction of the Kaimana-Sisir-Werua-Lobo-Triton Road with a ceiling value of ID49,226,762,000 billion was re-evaluated? This is what I call us all having to be supervisors of this development,” said Filep.
The West Papua Senator who is familiarly called Pace Jas Merah said that the execution of development implementation should be guarded continuously as a form of public control which is also entitled to development from the government in the region.
He claimed to have received news that the project was deliberately given to a certain company or won on purpose.
“Some reliable sources told me that there were several companies that won the tender. For example, there is Company V, Company A, Company S,” he said.
He suspects that the budget spent for the initial work on this project has been disbursed but the construction is not running at all.
“I am worried that the initial funds, such as the DP, have been disbursed by a certain percentage, but the construction has not yet been carried out, while waiting for the second or third payment. This is very dangerous, because it will definitely have an impact on the results of the road being built,” Filep explained.
Furthermore, this Deputy of Committee 1 DPD RI requested that the Provincial Government and DPRP also examine various findings in the field.
“I am sure the public is also monitoring and knowing information about the improper things in the construction of this road,” he said.
He hopes there is no conspiracy in the construction of any project in West Papua. In addition, he requested that the government conduct an audit of the project.
“I also ask for an examination of all these development projects. I hope the police, prosecutors, inspectorate, and public auditors can be actively responsive to investigate this matter related to alleged practices that harm the regional finances of West Papua Province,” said Filep.
