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Behind closed curtains: House interior project arouses suspicion
The Rp 43.5 trillion budget for replacing lawmakers' curtains is, unsurprisingly, considered exorbitant by many.
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A view of the House of Representatives plenary hall in the legislative complex in Central Jakarta, on April 12. (Antara/Galih Pradipta)
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he House of Representatives officially accepted PT Bertiga Mitra Solusi’s bid on a curtain replacement tender, valued at Rp 43.5 trillion (US$2.98 million), on Monday. This project, first announced in March, aims to replace old curtains in 505 official residences that house Indonesia's lawmakers. With taxes, each house will be allotted Rp 90 million for new curtains, in a country where the highest regional minimum wage is under Rp 5 million per month.
A total of 49 companies signed up for the tender auction. Out of the three companies that placed their bids, the most expensive one was selected by the lawmakers, raising many eyebrows. Since March, this project has garnered swathes of criticism from both the public and some politicians that consider the budget to be both exorbitant and nonurgent.
Numerous watchdog agencies, as well as some political parties, have publicly stated their curtain-related distrust, adding that the selected company had a questionable background. Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) researcher Wana Alamsyah claimed there was much potential for dishonesty during the bidding process.
“The ICW has predicted that PT Bertiga Mitra Solusi would win the tender. We suspect that some dishonesties have occurred because out of the three bidding companies, they were the only one that qualified [for the House’s requirements],” Wana said to Tempo.
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) swiftly hopped on the House’s case, saying on Monday that this project must be carried out with transparency and accountability. The commission also called for public participation in ensuring no corruption, providing a hotline number for whistleblowers.
“The KPK calls for transparency and accountability in every step of this project, as to deter certain parties from taking personal gains through illegal means,” KPK spokesperson Ali Fikri said in a statement.
Read also: No budget allocation to construct apartments for lawmakers: Official
