"There should not be a delay in the incentives paid to health workers. We push (all parties) to make efforts, so incentives for all health workers in the district would be paid on time," North Gorontalo DPRD Commission III member Fatri Botuhihe stated here Sunday (July 25).
Citing the district's health office report, Botuhihe noted that the current budget allocated for health workers' incentives and vaccines procurement is only available for the period between January and May 2021.
Botuhihe also expected the district authority to make the most of the budget currently available to meet needs for the June-December 2021 period despite the constraints.
To support the COVID-19 handling efforts in North Gorontalo District, the assembly is also prepared to amend the provincial 2021 annual budget by drafting the Amended Regional Budget (APBD-P) for this year's budget.
"The total budget needed for COVID-19 handling (in this district) reached Rp15 billion (around US$1.029 million), yet according to the report from the regional finance committee, only Rp4 billion (around US$274,480) is available for this time. (The DPRD) is ready to raise another Rp11 billion from the regional budget amendment by adjusting expenses," Botuhihe noted.
She also sought support from all parties to prioritise the disbursal of incentives, for which the DPRD too will support.
"We, the 25 members of the DPRD, are ready to reallocate our official trip budget this year. In this way, we expect no delay in the payment of the health workers' incentives," she stated.
The district DPRD has urged the regional government to formulate a more effective policy on the district's budget efficiency during the COVID-19 pandemic. Botuhihe has also urged the authority to expedite budget absorption and to reduce unnecessary budget allocation.
"We should play our part seriously in handling the COVID-19 pandemic, especially to guarantee the health workers' well-being and ensure that they could maximise their ability to tend to the patients," she emphasized. Related news: Government should continue COVID-19 relief programs in Gorontalo
Related news: Gorontalo's 35 health workers get positive test result for COVID-19
Translator: Susanti Sako, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
