By: Candra Hapsari Susilo

The Audit Board of the Republic of Indonesia (BPK) is constitutionally mandated as an independent body, reflecting the INTOSAI Lima Declaration (1977), which underscores the importance of legal, organizational, and operational independence in ensuring accountability. However, Indonesia’s evolving political and institutional landscape introduces challenges to this mandate. The 2024 presidential transition initiated a new development cycle under Law No. 25/2004, requiring each administration to prepare a National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN) aligned with the Long-Term Development Plan (RPJPN). This process has involved ministerial restructuring, the establishment of new agencies, and the launch of flagship initiatives, such as the free nutritious meal program, all of which reshape governance arrangements and audit priorities.

Being one of the earth’s largest archipelagos, Indonesia’s territory consists largely of bodies of water, with coastal cities scattered across 17.000 islands. However, many of those islands might just disappear in the coming years. As early as 2005, Indonesia’s Marine and Fisheries Research Agency (KKP) reported that 24 islands the size of a football field had sunk.  The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) has also shown that land subsidence in the coastline of Indonesia’s main island is happening at an unprecedented rate, ranging from 2 cm/year to an alarming 11 cm/year in certain parts, including its capital city and economic center, Jakarta. BRIN has forecasted as many as 115 islands will have sunk by the year 2100, 92 of which are caused by the rising sea levels. With most of its infrastructure located along the coastline, Indonesia suffers a higher risk of loss and damage. Thus, staying afloat has become one of our main concerns.