We understand that iron is easy to shape when it is still hotJakarta (ANTARA) - Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati stated that Indonesia had been proven capable of making the most of the crisis, including the COVID-19 pandemic, as a momentum to conduct reforms.
"Indonesia has always been proven to be able to take advantage of the crisis as a momentum to conduct reforms," the minister stated at the Open Session of the Academic Senate at Sebelas Maret University in Solo, Central Java, which was monitored online in Jakarta, Friday.
The reform was conducted, so that Indonesia could emerge from the crisis situation with achievements.
When the crisis was over, Indonesia would be better prepared to achieve sustainable development.
Sri Mulyani emphasized that reforms must go hand in hand with the recovery process, such as the structural reform agenda, which continued to be strengthened to build the economic foundation.
Reforms were conducted to address fundamental issues, such as strengthening the quality of human resources (HR), ease of doing business, downstreaming, and economic transformation.
"We understand that iron is easy to shape when it is still hot," she stressed.
During the pandemic, the government has not only conducted structural reforms but also continued fiscal reform efforts that have resulted in two important pieces of legislation: the amendment to Law on Financial Relations between the Central Government and Regional Governments (UU HKPD) and the Tax Regulation Harmonization Law in 2021.
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According to Sri Mulyani, these two pieces of legislation will strengthen state revenue policies and improve the quality of transfer spending to the regions, thereby strengthening decentralization and regional autonomy.
In addition, the government maintains the health and reliability of the state budget, which is an important instrument for development and protects Indonesia from the impact of a deeper crisis.
Efforts to maintain the health of the state budget are made, so that this instrument can continue to be a solution in dealing with various development challenges and turmoil as well as the threat of crises that had the potential to occur in future.
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"Reforming the state budget and state finances is a necessity," she stressed.
This health is maintained through the reform of the State Budget that includes improving the quality and efficiency of central government spending, financing, and managing the treasury and state assets.
These various efforts have had implications for Indonesia, which is starting to experience recovery and is getting back on track towards development goals and ideals.
“We have to be optimistic that the storm will pass. Even the hardest of winters fears the spring. Every era has a challenge, every challenge has an answer and every era has a character," Sri Mulyani affirmed.
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Translator: Astrid F, Azis Kurmala
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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