Fitra Riau Asks Syamsuar To Remove Work Visit Proposition of Council Members to Overseas

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The Indonesian Forum for Budget Transparency (FITRA) Riau asked Governor Syamsuar to remove the proposed DPRK Riau Workers' Visit (Kunker) abroad in the 2020 APBD which is currently being discussed. He asked this because the activity did not have any impact in improving the performance and interests of regional development.

"For the sake of budget efficiency in 2020, the government in this case the Riau governor Syamsuar must have the courage to abolish the foreign working proposals submitted by Riau board members, because Fitra assesses, these activities do not have any impact in improving the performance and interests of regional development," said the Deputy Fitra Riau, Tarmizi through his written statement to Riau24.com. Friday 15 November 2019.

Tarmizi noted that in 2019, the Riau DPRD budgeted for official travel expenses for the council to reach Rp401.8 billion. The amount included in the work visit costs of Riau Parliament members amounted to Rp167 billion, both for domestic and international Kunker, as well as overseas Kunker. Meanwhile, the cost of overseas visits alone is budgeted at Rp16 billion in 2019. From a large enough budget, the results obtained did not match expectations.

"So in principle the Kunker activities need to be carried out by each regional government, both the executive and the Parliament D in supporting the performance of the board itself, but what must be considered together is the effectiveness of the Kunker activities, because up to now the public in Riau has not yet received complete information on what is "was produced by members of the Riau council from the results of overseas visits conducted every year," he explained.

He even continued, Fitra Riau, had accessed information to the Riau Parliament  secretariat to obtain information related to the details of the goals and results of the overseas visit, as well as the realization of the use of its budget, but unfortunately until now it did not know whether the visit had an impact on improving the performance of the council, like there is no policy that was born by the Riau council from the overseas kunker.

"In the 2020 APBD that is being prepared, Fitra hopes that the quality of the 2020 budget planning will be far better than in previous years, given the condition of Riau that is still lagging behind in various aspects, such as education, health services and the poverty level of the Riau people themselves," he explained.

Separately the chairman of the Riau Parliament  Indra Gunawan Eet when confirmed via telephone did not provide an answer to the call for the elimination of the 2020 foreign travel proposal by Fitra Riau.

"That's not my field, try asking Zukri who understands me my field is like a house of worship," Eed said ending the conversation.

While Riau Parliament  deputy chairman Zukri Misran when contacted at his number 08136531 ..... sounded no longer active. Until this news was revealed the leadership of the Riau Parliament  is still keeping a secret about the overseas travel budget in the 2020 APBD.