The ministers underperformed as was mirrored by the low disbursement of the budget, President Jokowi stated at the Merdeka Palace here on Monday while chairing a limited cabinet meeting on the handling of COVID-19 and the recovery of the national economy.
The head of state pointed out that several ministries and government institutions were yet unclear over what should be prioritized since some 40 percent of them had no budget execution list (DIPA).
Speaking in connection with the budget for COVID-19 handling and the National Economic Recovery (PEN), Jokowi also highlighted the still low spending realization, at 20 percent, or Rp141 trillion of the budget totaling Rp695.2 trillion.
Spending on social protection programs, at 38 percent, constituted the biggest absorption of the COVID-19 budget, while that for the stimulus programs for Micro and Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) reached 25 percent.
"Again, out of the Rp695-trillion stimulus for handling COVID-19, only 20 percent, or Rp141 trillion, was realized. Once again, 20 percent is a very small figure," he noted.
The head of state urged his officials to make breakthroughs in expediting the realization of the budget, so that the public could bear witness to the outcomes of the policy on handling COVID-19 and economic recovery.
"Crisis management is visible, agile, fast, troubleshooting, and smart shortcuts, and the results are truly effective. We need speed," President Jokowi stated.
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Translator: Indra Arief P, Fardah
Editor: Sri Haryati
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