Jakarta (ANTARA) – Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati has projected that the central government’s spending in 2021 would reach Rp1,929.6 trillion, or 98.2 percent of the ceiling of Rp1,954.5 trillion.
“We forecast that it will reach Rp1,929.6 trillion, or 98.2 percent of the ceiling until the second semester,” Indrawati remarked at a working meeting with the Budget Committee at the House of Representatives (DPR) on Monday.
The projected spending will grow four percent as compared to last year’s Rp1,833 trillion that represented 92.8 percent of the ceiling of Rp1,975.2 trillion, according to the minister.
“This is better from the standpoint of percentage and nominal value,” Indrawati noted.
The government’s spending will be vastly dependent on the preparedness of ministries and institutions in driving their spending, the minister pointed out.
Indrawati believes that the preparedness of ministries and institutions to continue to forge ahead and accomplish programs and activities planned in the second semester will have an impact on realization of the spending target. To this end, the minister made an earnest request to ministries and institutions that are not able to or finding it difficult to realize their budget to reallocate it to the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The minister stated that the funding transferred to regions and village funds were projected to reach Rp770 trillion, or 96.9 percent of the ceiling of Rp795 trillion.
The realization of fund transfer and village fund, especially for physical and non-physical special allocation funds and village funds, was largely based on the performance of regions to meet conditions for their distribution, Indrawati noted.
The minister affirmed that the realization of direct cash assistance for villages was projected to reach 69 percent of this year’s ceiling.
“We appeal to the Ministry of Villages, (Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration) to relax (procedures) and accelerate (fund distribution), so the funding will really help villagers,” Indrawati emphasized.
Source: Antara News