"Guidance and accompaniment should be routinely provided to the regional heads to enable them to fulfill the designated budget realization," Gaus noted in his statement here on Monday.
Gaus suggested that law enforcement officers and audit institutions get involved in ensuring the usage of budget in accordance with the regulation and the law.
He asserted the importance of preventing the budget from being used for personal and group interests that can lead to corruption.
He urged the regional governments to accelerate the absorption of budget allocated for social protection and economic empowerment in handling the COVID-19 pandemic.
His request is based on the Home Ministry’s data that indicate average realization of the regional state budget to handle the COVID-19 pandemic is still far from ideal.
"The ministry's data show that until July 15, 2021, the realization of regional budget for the provincial governments have only reached 35.18 percent. This figure is lower than the budget realization in July 31 2020, reaching 37.90 percent," Gaus pointed out.
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The House member admitted that regional heads faced a dilemma over budget utilization.
He noted that while the budget had to be utilized immediately to handle the impacts of the pandemic, the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) could use it as evidence that can potentially create legal issues for the regional heads.
However, Gaus stressed that the budget should not be utilized for personal interests.
This National Mandate Party (PAN) politician is sanguine that the central and regional governments would share an understanding and stay committed to accelerating budget absorption for COVID-19 handling.
Gaus also called on the regional governments not to hesitate to conduct budget refocusing to avert any stalling of the pandemic handling program.
Moreover, he urged the Home Ministry to find a breakthrough so that the regional governments would be freed of concerns over refocusing and realization of the budget to handle COVID-19. Related news: Optimize state budget to dispose COVID-19 medical waste: President
Translator: Imam B, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
