Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – An NGO lodged a complaint to the Central Information Commission (KIP) on Thursday regarding the rejection of 37 state bodies to disclose documents on budget allocations.
The Indonesian Forum for Budget Transparency (FITRA) filed information requests to 65 state institutions, but only 28 had provided proper documents on the 2010 Approved Budget Allocation List (DIPA).
"Because they rejected our requests to provide the DIPA documents, which are public domain according to the 2008 Law on Freedom of Information, we reported the institutions to the commission," FITRA investigation and advocacy coordinator Uchok Sky Khadafi said.
Among the 37 state bodies were the Trade Ministry, the Forestry Ministry, the National Education Ministry, the Religious Affairs Ministry and the State-Owned Enterprise Ministry, as well as non-ministerial bodies such as the Constitutional Court, the Attorney General's Office, the National Police, the State Intelligence Agency, and the Supreme Audit Agency.
"Ironically, the House of Representatives, which endorsed the Freedom of Information Law, also rejected our request," Uchok said.
FITRA found that only five ministries provided budget information, including the State Secretariat, the Industry Ministry, the Agriculture Ministry, the Transportation Ministry and the Culture and Tourism Ministry.
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), meanwhile, was the only law enforcement institution answering the queries.
"We have sent request letters since last year. However, most of the recipients completely ignored the requests, while others gave various excuses on why they wouldn't want to provide budget information," Uchok said.
Some ministries – the Defense Ministry, Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry and the Research and Technology Ministry – even declared that DIPA lists were not for public consumption, he added.
"The Public Works and Finance Ministries indeed responded to our requests, but they did not give us the DIPA lists as requested," he said.
KIP chairman Ahmad Alamsyah Saragih said the commission would study the case and summon representatives from the reported institutions for clarification.
"We will decide within 14 days whether the cases should go to mediation for settlement," he said, adding that should mediation fail, the cases would go to an adjudication hearing, similar to a criminal court hearing.
The ruling of an adjudication hearing is final with no appeal. The 2008 Freedom of Information law says any party refusing to execute such a ruling can be punished with up to three years in jail and a Rp 20 million (US$2,240) fine.
Alamsyah confirmed that any state budget-related information was supposed to be open for public.
"State bodies run their institutions using public funds, so the public deserves to know the allocation. But let us process the reports as stipulated by the law. Maybe some misunderstanding has taken place," he said.
Established in August 2009, the KIP, with three offices all in Java, has so far received 31 information disclosure requests from the public.
Besides FITRA, the Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) has also filed a number of information dispute cases with the KIP. The ICW has requested the commission settle disputes with the National Education Ministry, the National Police and five state schools in Jakarta.
Transparency International Indonesia (TII) secretary-general Teten Masduki said having freedom of information after 30 years of an "opaque" regime was not easy, but it was important to maintain as a means of preventing corruption among state officials.