"I always emphasize this while conversing with the Finance Ministry's officials, as we may not see another situation of such magnitude in future," Indrawati stated on #PahlawanVaksin (#VaccineHeroes) online talk show in Jakarta on Tuesday.
The current generation could set a precedent for future references if another pandemic or large-scale economic downturn were to occur in future, the minister noted.
The COVID-19 pandemic has posed a great challenge for the national economy despite the country having earlier faced similar epidemics, such as SARS and Ebola epidemic, albeit, on a lesser scale and effect, she noted.
Indrawati highlighted that the COVID-19 pandemic had set a precedent about the necessity for a flexible national budget without diminishing budget transparency and accountability.
"Sometimes, the main budget issue is not about the money itself but is about the budget governance," the minister remarked.
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She pointed out service quality differences between national hospitals, despite the COVID-19 budget being available, had hindered efforts to provide the best services for patients.
Indrawati also noted budget management issues in regions were caused by the reluctance of some provincial authorities to proceed with financial adjustments necessitated by the pandemic due to the lack of legal basis.
With regard to the provincial authorities' reluctance, the minister highlighted that the central government still needed to amend some regulations before disbursing the necessary budget for COVID-19 pandemic handling purposes.
The amendment to the regulation yet must consider the accountability factor, as budget utilization will be audited by the national Audit Board, she added.
"In this kind of crisis, besides being quick and flexible, we also need to maintain our stability and transparency," Indrawati remarked.
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Translator: Agatha Olivia V, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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