If needed in 2016, the government would formulate a reward and punishment policy for the management of fund transfers ..."
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro expressed optimism that the government spending in 2016 would be more optimal as it would no longer face technical and administrative problems.

"The government spending is expected to be more optimal as there will no longer be a nomenclature issue because the budget plan had been prepared in advance, and the auctions of projects could be carried out earlier in the fourth quarter of 2015," he stated at a plenary meeting here on Tuesday.

Minister Brodjonegoro read out the governments response to general statements from the political party factions in the House of Representatives (DPR) regarding the 2016 budget bill and its financial notes.

He noted that the government would also make efforts and coordinate with the regional governments to ensure the smooth implementation of regional budget spending, which was hindered in 2015.

"If needed in 2016, the government would formulate a reward and punishment policy for the management of fund transfers to the regions to ensure the effectiveness of regional budgets to optimally support regional development efforts," he claimed.

Regarding budget spending in ministries, which was slow in the first semester, the minister emphasized that the government was ready to coordinate and take maximum efforts to improve its performance in the second semester.

Until August 2015, the finance ministry had recorded that the budget expenditures at ministries reached Rp297.9 trillion, higher than Rp260.3 trillion noted in the same period last year.

"It is expected that the budget spending of the ministries and ministerial-level institutions would further increase in the months to come due to direct monitoring by the president and inter-ministerial monitoring team," he affirmed.

(Reporting by Satyagraha/Uu.H-YH/INE/B003/KR-BSR/B003)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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