BATU BARA — The Indonesian Youth and Student Movement (Pergerakan Mahasiswa dan Pemuda Indonesia – PERMADANI) of Batu Bara Regency has publicly raised serious concerns regarding several grant expenditure items allocated under the Batu Bara Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) for the 2025 Fiscal Year.
The Chairman of PERMADANI Batu Bara, Abdillah Tarigan, highlighted that several procurement posts exhibit unusual unit pricing and quantities, necessitating immediate audit and clarification from law enforcement agencies as well as government oversight bodies.
Based on data scrutinized by PERMADANI, the questioned procurement encompasses 16 distinct line items. These include 23,000 sacks of 5-kilogram rice valued at Rp1.955 billion, 1,000 gas stove units worth Rp310 million, 1,000 3-kilogram LPG cylinders totaling Rp304 million, 2,000 backpacks budgeted at Rp160 million, 1,000 packs of instant noodles at Rp132 million, and 25,000 branded empty sacks costing Rp128 million.
Additionally, the grant budget records 1,000 blankets worth Rp100 million, 1,000 sarongs at Rp80 million, 2,201 canned biscuits valued at Rp75 million, 1,000 large canned sardines at Rp66.3 million, 2,000 goodie bags priced at Rp50 million, and 1,000 kilograms of refined sugar at Rp23.6 million, among other logistical items.
“This budget structure requires transparent verification. While we do not presume guilt or legal wrongdoing, when public expenditures raise questions regarding reasonable pricing and proportion, law enforcement must step in to conduct thorough checks,” Abdillah stated on Saturday.
He emphasized that any investigation should comprehensively audit unit costs, technical specifications, total procurement volumes, tender documentation, vendor credentials, and verifiable distribution receipts confirming receipt by disaster-affected residents.
Furthermore, PERMADANI urges the Batu Bara Regency Government and the BPBD leadership to deliver an open public accounting regarding the policy rationale behind these budget allocations.
Abdillah stressed that if the procurement complies fully with statutory regulations, the official audit findings should be publicly disclosed to clear the air. Conversely, should state losses or regulatory breaches be uncovered, strict legal measures must be pursued in accordance with prevailing laws.
Disaster relief and emergency grant budgets managed by regional agencies are frequently flagged by anti-corruption watchdogs as high-risk procurement zones. Because emergency logistics are often fast-tracked under direct procurement rules to expedite relief delivery during crisis situations, oversight mechanisms can become diluted. Ensuring strict post-audit verification on unit pricing, vendor legitimacy, and physical inventory tracking is essential to prevent budget markups (mark-up harga) and fictitious procurement practices in regional disaster agencies.
The call for transparency by PERMADANI aligns with broader civil society efforts in North Sumatra to enforce public information openness (Keterbukaan Informasi Publik – KIP) under Law No. 14 of 2008. Independent watchdog involvement in monitoring Regional Revenue and Expenditure Budgets (APBD) ensures that municipal allocations serve their intended humanitarian purposes. Public administration experts point out that proactive disclosure by local authorities—such as publishing distribution manifests and procurement catalogs—is the most effective method to build public trust and deter financial malfeasance.
