Innovation is a key to promote an accountable and transparent governance. At least, it is what has been done by Suyoto who is known as Kang Yoto, the Regent of Bojonegoro. In last October 2016, Kang Yoto declared the implementation of Open Contracting along with other stakeholders to support Open Government Partnership (OGP).
Such achievement can not be separated from the fact that Bojonegoro Regency, East Java Province was selected as Indonesia’s representative for piloting area of open local government in the global level. Thus, the regency shall committed to implement four principles of OGP, which are transparency, accountability, participation, also information and technology innovation.
Kang Yoto said that Open Contracting has been regulated under Regent Regulation Number 1 Year 2017 on Disclosure of Contract Document. He added, contract document is not only included business contract between the government agency with the business entities, but also included professional contract. “With this contract disclosure, community is able to learn and monitor the development policy,” said him in the PWYP Knowledge Forum entitled “Open Data Contract for Oil and Gas Rich Areas” in PWYP office, last 3 March 2017.
Kang Yoto underlined that the process toward an open government in Bojonegoro is not an easy task. Not to mention, the difficulty to change the individual trust to the institutional trust. Contract disclosure become important to prevent the acute problem, which is corruption. “Open Contracting in Bojonegoro is like creating a new box, because it hasn’t been regulated in the law,” said Yoto.
The business process of Open Contracting in Bojonegoro is started from the aspiration of community through electronic-Development Planning Meeting or called e-musrenbang to e-development planning, e-budgeting, e-procurement, and e-reporting. “All procurement documents are disclosed, including the reason behind the selection of partners, and also the commentary of community. So, there is no more fake partners. Once you open, you never close again, because community has the right to know,” explained him.
In the extractive sector, particularly oil and gas, the contract being disclosed is the procurement contract of goods and services. The contract consists of Term of Reference, Self-Estimated Price, selection process, reasons of the winner, business contract, monitoring the government agency (SKPD), community proposal, payment, and asset registration.
However, for the Contractor Cooperation Contract (KKKS) operated in Bojonegoro, Kang Yoto said, that this document has not being disclosed to public yet, because it is included in the excepted information based on the Public Information Act. Kang Yoto added, “Not all of the permits issuance process should be accelerated. For the mining permits, if needed, it shall be prolonged, because it will damage the environment.”
In the forum, Kang Yoto also said that minimum access to internet as one of the problem in his area. But this condition is easily solved by utilizing radio as media to gather community aspiration. Then the system will direct the messages from the radio to LAPOR! Bojonegoro Regency is a pilot project of @LAPOR1708 as well as among the best practice in implementing complain handling system.