[Kabar-indonesia] Agencies promise accountability in Aceh

[Joyo at aol.com]

The Jakarta Post
November 9, 2006

Agencies promise accountability in Aceh

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan

Donor agencies, international organizations and the body in
charge of rebuilding Aceh and Nias promised Wednesday to
ensure public accountability and to make it easy for people
to file complaints.

Forms will be made available at the offices of all
organizations involved in the reconstruction work, and
detailed information will be made available on all
reconstruction projects, said organizers of a two-day
workshop held in Medan, North Sumatra.

The agreement on these measures follows Tuesday's signing of
a memorandum of understanding between the Aceh-Nias
Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Agency (BRR) and
Transparency International Indonesia (TII).

Rizal Malik, the TII secretary, said the mechanisms to be
adopted by all agencies involved in reconstruction of areas
affected by the 2004 earthquake and tsunami would help
prevent the abuse of funds and donations intended for
victims.

All agencies "will be transparent over project details, from
planning, design, funding and implementation", he said.

There has been a variety of complaints targeted at the BRR
and organizations involved in the channeling of aid for
tsunami victims.

Rizal said the new mechanisms "would ensure public
participation" and help reduce these complaints.

The BRR itself has received over 1,000 complaints, including
from contractors, non-governmental organizations, officials
and the press, said Kevin Evans, a BRR official in charge of
government integrity.

Most complaints are about the supply of goods and services,
and suspected corruption, Evans said.

Geumala Yatim, of the World Bank's multidonor fund for
disaster-hit regions, cited indications of corruption in 5
percent of the US$530 million channeled by the fund.

However, Geumala said this figure was "still tolerable".

Workshop participants recommended a dialog with
businesspeople, mainly contractors, who were said to be both
"victims and perpetrators" of corruption in projects for
Nias and Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam.

The forum also called on the authorities to stop the
extortion of all parties involved in the reconstruction of
Aceh and Nias.

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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