"We must not use it carelessly. We must focus to use it for meeting goals so that it would really befruitful," he said at a cabinet meeting here on Monday.
Attended also by Vice President Jusuf Kalla and all cabinet ministers the meeting discussed budget allocation for indicative ceilings in 2019 and national priorities in 2019.
President Joko Widodo said the 2019 national budget would be focussed on human resource development, especially research and development.
With regard to efficiency and effectiveness he said "if all the budgets for promotion and exhibition in 17 ministries were collected and put in one ministerial body we could hold spectacular exhibitions or brands for the country."
Unfortunately the promotion budgets in the ministries had so far been used inefficiently so that the impact of promoting the country`s brand had not been seen.
"If we break it up into small portions and spread to 17 ministries we will only be able to use each of them to hold a small event instead of a big one. What is the use of participating in Dubai, Shanghai or the US with only one of two booths and they are also located near toilets?. They will even degrade our country`s brand. If we can collect all of them the amount will be huge," he said.
On the occasion President Joko Widodo also scrutinized budgets for research and development that have so far not yet given a big effect for the country`s progress.
"Almost all ministries have research and development section and if collected their budgets are also huge totalling Rp24.9 trillion. Their size is not seen when it spreads among ministries but it is when they are combined," he said.
With regard to that President Joko Widodo called on all ministries and state institutions to prepare budgets based on a big strategy.
"It can be designed. What is the big strategy. What is the goal. For example if it is about `durian` what kind of fruit it will become after billions are spent for researches for its development. So, research must not be for the researchers but what would come from the Rp24.9 trillion budget," he said.
President Joko Widodo reiterated that budgets must be used based on priorities and strategic purposes.
Reported by Desca Lidya Natalia
(H-YH)
(T.SYS/B/KR-BSR/A014)
Reporter: SYSTEM
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2018
