JAKARTA (Yosefardi) – President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo revealed on Monday (Nov. 24) that the central government will cut by around Rp16 trillion from unnecessary meetings and official visits for the year of 2015 as a part of the government’s budget efficiency policy, Kompas.com reported.
President Jokowi said the money will be redirected to infrastructure development in the regions.
According to the President, the budget allocation of Rp41 trillion for official visits and meeting is not efficient. Under the President’s calculation, the government only needs about Rp22 trillion for financing visits and meetings. “I have ordered to cut it (allocation for visits and meetings) to Rp25 trillion,” President Jokowi said in a gathering with 34 governors at the Presidential Palace, Bogor, West Java.
President, moreover, also asked all governors to push for budget efficiency by up to 30%.
As reported earlier, Minister of State Apparatus & Bureaucracy Reform Yuddy Chrisnandy has banned state officials in all ministries, provincial governments, and regional/municipality administrations from conducting meetings in hotels and unnecessary official visits. Minister Yuddy said the ban is expected to be effectively applied by Dec. 1, 2014. (haryantosuharman@yosefardi.com)