Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesian Vice President Ma’ruf Amin has said the government is mulling the possibility of expanding the budget for the National Economic Recovery (PEN) program.
“The government is mulling the possibility of increasing the budget for the PEN program,” Amin said while giving a public lecture on the LXII Regular Education Program (PPRA) and the XXIII Short Education Program (PPSA) of the National Resilience Institute (Lemhanas) for this year.
The additional budget for the economic recovery program is aimed at maintaining people’s purchasing power, boosting the economy, and addressing health issues, Amin said in a lecture that he delivered online from his official residence here on Tuesday.
“(The addition) is to maintain purchasing power, encourage the economy, and deal with public health. All these expenditures have not been budgeted in the ongoing State Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBN), and it is possible that the addition will be obtained through refocusing or reallocating government spending,” he added.
In line with efforts to increase the budget for national economic recovery, the Vice President said, the government will also continue to provide social protection assistance, pursue employment programs, and provide support to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
“The social protection programs include the Family Hope Program (PKH), the Non-Cash Food Assistance Program (BPNT) or Basic Food Program, then Cash Social Assistance Program and Direct Cash Assistance (BLT) of the Village Fund Program, which have continued to be improved, while the schedule and targets are synchronized,” he elaborated. Job training or vocational education will also continue to be provided by the government through the Pre-Employment Card Program and the Intensive Work Program to reduce unemployment in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Amin said.
“In addition, infrastructure development in the village will also be improved and directed to empower local workers and local products. Then, the program of providing assistance for micro enterprises and credit for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) will also be continued,” he said.
Earlier, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, said the proposed additional budget for the recovery of the national economy is 225.4 trillion Indonesian rupiahs.
The addition has been proposed in the wake of emergency restrictions on community activities (PPKM) on the islands of Java and Bali, he said.
Out of the additional budget, Rp120.72 trillion is proposed to be allocated for health programs, Rp10.89 trillion for priority programs, Rp28.7 trillion for social protection, Rp15.1 trillion for business incentives, and Rp50.04 trillion for supporting MSMEs, he said.
Source: Antara News