Jakarta – According to a ministry official, the Religious Affairs Ministry will penalize all parties found to have misused operational aid for Islamic boarding schools.
“The Religious Affairs Ministry has zero tolerance for all parties who misappropriate the operational support fund,” said Nuruzzaman, the minister’s special staff, in a statement received here on Wednesday.
He mentioned that incidences of operational assistance fund misuse had been documented in the 2020 fiscal year. Some cases have gone through the legal system, while others have gone to court, he said.
“Some fund abusers have also been convicted,” according to a ministry official.
Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas remarked that after taking over as religious affairs minister at the end of October 2020, he has quickly introduced adjustments in the ministry’s administration.
According to Nuruzzaman, the minister has also taken steps to prevent misuse of the state budget, including enhancing the disbursement and monitoring of the operational assistance fund for Islamic boarding schools.
“The ministry also informs and encourages all officials and people to cooperate in monitoring and ensuring that the aid fund for Islamic boarding schools reaches the appropriate recipients and is used for its intended objectives,” he added.
The special staff emphasized the minister’s commitment to preventing misappropriation by not covering up previous incidents and collaborating with relevant stakeholders.
“The ministry data is also used in the current ICW (Indonesia Corruption Watch) findings. This illustrates the Religious Affairs Ministry’s unwavering commitment to being transparent and accountable for its progress in preventing misappropriation “He made a statement.
Despite pledging to avoid additional financial misuse, he stated that the ministry will endeavor to explain incorrect information spread by some groups attempting to characterize the embezzlement as occurring under Qoumas’ leadership.
“We do not want the work of those who committed the abuse to stigmatize Islamic boarding schools and their students. Islamic boarding schools and their students are an institution and a community with a proven history, and they represent future capital for the people’s progress and Indonesian society,” Nuruzzaman expressed this.