Nadiem Makarim: Chromebook Project Value Only Rp 6.7 T

Former Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, Nadiem Makarim, has defended the procurement of Chromebooks, stating the project's actual cost was Rp 6.7 trillion, significantly less than the Rp 9.9 trillion initially reported. Appearing at the Corruption Court in Jakarta, Makarim presented his defense, or 'duplik', in response to the prosecution's rebuttal.

Makarim clarified that the Rp 6.7 trillion figure included funds for projectors and modems, with only Rp 2.72 trillion specifically allocated for the laptops themselves. He emphasized that this expenditure represented less than one percent of the Ministry of Education's annual budget, which ranged from Rp 80-90 trillion during his five-year term.

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The initial narrative of the Chromebook procurement costing Rp 9.9 trillion, when in fact only Rp 6.7 trillion was used, with the remainder for projectors, modems, and other items.

Nadiem Makarim is currently a defendant in a corruption case concerning the procurement of Chromebooks and Chrome Device Management (CDM) for the ministry between 2019 and 2022. Prosecutors had previously sought an 18-year prison sentence for Makarim, along with substantial fines and restitution totaling Rp 5.68 trillion. He is accused of violating anti-corruption laws and enriching himself and 12 private vendor companies. Prosecutors allege the Chromebook procurement was driven by Nadiem's business interests, aiming to increase Google's investment in PT Aplikasi Karya Anak Bangsa (AKAB), now PT GoTo Gojek Tokopedia, a company he founded.

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If compared to the budget of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology at the time, Rp 80-90 trillion per year, it means less than one percent of the budget was for purchasing Chromebook laptops during the five years I served.