"No reason to be afraid of spending budget fund if you don`t take a cent from it," the president said.Makassar (ANTARA News) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) told regional administrations not to hesitate to spend their budget funds to push economic growth.
The president said he was sad that budget spending especially in the regions is still low resulting in a decline in the countrys economic growth.
"No reason to be afraid of spending budget fund if you dont take a cent from it," the president said addressing a national congress of the association of provincial administrations here on Wednesday night.
Afraid of being accused of corruption, many regional administrations hesitated to implement budget projects resulting shortfall in the budget implementation and economic slowdown.
The president promised full support in case of criticism and suspicion directed at any policy of regional administration, intended to boost economic growth.
"If it is a policy truly intended for economic development I will fully back up," the president said.
He said he also was once a city mayor and a governor and he never was afraid in spending budget fund.
"It is sad. We have money , but it so difficult to spend it. What is the problem. Afraid of what," he said.
He said there are still Rp259 trillion in unspent budget fund for regencies not much different from the position of Rp270 trillion in August.
"The funds if properly spent would give a push to the peoples economy," he said.
He said everyday he takes a look at data of budget spending and see which of the district areas performed below expectation.
He said the government is working hard to draw foreign capital into the country, but "here we have money but we fail to use it for the welfare of the people."
He said the purchasing power of the people would increase with the government spending, that would open more jobs.
Therefore, he said he hope there should be no delay in spending of budget fund in 2016.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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