Jakarta – The World Bank said Friday that a recent investigation conducted by the bank and the Indonesian Ministry of Education uncovered deficiencies and irregularities in the construction of World Bank-financed schools recently completed in East Java and West Sumatra.

The World Bank said it found that work was incomplete or sub-standard at 18 recently built schools in East Java. "This was found to be the case although local officials had signed off on the constructions as being complete and one-hundred percent satisfactory," the bank stated.

Meanwhile, in West Sumatra, the Ministry of Education found that some contractors had used funds improperly and some schools weren't completed according to contract specifications.

Dennis de Tray, World Bank country director for Indonesia, said: "It is unfortunate that at the very time Indonesia needs to make sure all children are provided school places, we are presented with a situation that requires the closure of new schools because they were poorly constructed," de Tray said.

The World Bank said the director general of primary and secondary education issued a clear warning to all provincial authorities that construction contracts must be awarded in accordance with the required transparency standards and completed according to specifications.