Opening Ceremony of the 2020 National Coordination Meeting for Government Internal Supervision Monday, 15 June 2020, at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.

Assalamu’alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh,

Good Morning,

Peace and prosperity be upon us all,

Om Swastiastu,

Namo Buddhaya,

Greetings of Virtue.

Honorable Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia, Prof. K.H. Ma’ruf Amin;

Honorable Chairperson of the Audit Board of the Republic of Indonesia and all staffs;

Honorable Ministers of the Indonesian Onward Cabinet;

Honorable Head of the BPKP (the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency) and all staffs;

Honorable Chairperson of the KPK (the Corruption Eradication Commission) and all staffs;

Honorable Attorney General and the Chiefs of the High Prosecutors’ Offices;

Honorable Chief of the National Police and Chiefs of the Regional Police;

Honorable Governors, Regents, Mayors;

Honorable Management and Members of the Indonesian Internal Auditor Alliance;

Distinguished guests.

Currently, the world is facing an extremely difficult situation, 215 countries face health emergencies and must save their citizens from the threat of COVID-19. All countries struggle to save themselves from tremendous economic pressure. Demand is interrupted, supply is interrupted, production is also problematic. The growth of the world economy was corrected very sharply and struggled to avoid the recession. Once again, this situation is being faced by all countries, including our country, Indonesia. All of that requires a fast and precise government response.

In the health sector, we must control COVID-19 so that it does not spread wider. The healthy must not get infected and the sick must be treated. In the socio-economic sector, we also have to guarantee the less fortunate, the COVID-19 affected, to get social protection and assistance.  We must also ensure that the informal sector, the MSME sector (micro, small and medium enterprises) must continue to be able to survive and business people can continue to proceed and we must avoid mass layoffs.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

All fast and precise government measures must be accountable. I need to remind that the Government has allocated funds amounting to Rp677.2 trillion to accelerate the COVID-19 handling and national economic recovery. This figure of Rp677.2 trillion is a fantastic amount. Therefore, the governance must be good, the targets must be precise, the procedures must be simple and straightforward.  Its output and outcome must be maximum for the lives of all Indonesian people. I invite you to thoroughly oversee and supervise so that the enormous funds can benefit the community and business people who are experiencing difficulties.

Prevention aspects must be put forward. We all need to be more proactive, don’t wait for problems to occur, don’t wait for problems to occur. If there is a potential problem, immediately remind them, do not let government officials and apparatus be left mired, build an early warning system, strengthen good governance that is transparent, accountable.

Distinguished guests,

I want to emphasize that the Government does not play around in the matter of accountability. Prevention must take precedence, good governance must take precedence, but if there are any of us who are still stubborn, if there is an intention for corruption, there is mens rea, then please, bite them hard. The state money must be protected and people’s trust must be maintained.

The duty of you as the law enforcers, the police, the Attorney General’s Office, the KPK (the Corruption Eradication Commission),  investigators, and civil servants is to uphold the law. But I also remind you not to bite people who are innocent, do not bite those who do not have mens rea, also do not spread fear to the executors in carrying out their duties. The Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP), Inspectorate, and also the National Public Procurement Agency (LKPP) are internal government apparatuses who should focus on prevention and improvement of the governance. In addition, cooperation, synergy with external audit institutions the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) must continue. Likewise, the synergy between law enforcers, the police, the Attorney General’s Office, the KPK must also continue. With synergy and checks and balances between institutions as well as support from all the people of Indonesia, it will make them work better and quicker to handle all problems and challenges in order to rise and move forward towards an onward Indonesia

Finally, by saying bismillahirrahmanirrahim, I declare the 2020 National Coordination Meeting for Government Internal Supervision open.

Thank you.

Wassalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

Translated by Fairuzzamani Inayatillah
Reviewed by Mia Medyana B