Jakarta (ANTARA) - Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian has confirmed that President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) is ready to enact Presidential regulations to ensure smooth logistics preparation for the 2024 General Elections.

"The President is ready to (enact) specific Presidential regulations for smooth general elections logistics preparation," Karnavian said during a meeting session at the Parliament Complex here on Wednesday.

Besides the Home Affairs Ministry, officials from the General Elections Commission (KPU RI), General Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu), and the Electoral Organizer Honorary Council (DKPP) were also present during the meeting with legislators of Commission II of the House of Representatives (DPR RI).

The minister said logistics is one of the principal issues in election conduct.

"Sometimes (the logistics preparation process) needs a long time, particularly for the tender process," he noted.

The President has also instructed the Coordinating Ministry of Political, Legal, and Security Affairs and the Home Affairs Ministry to prepare the necessary regulations, as long as the regulations do not violate other laws, the minister said.

"The government will prepare the regulation, which will also cover goods procurement and logistics aspects of the election," Karnavian added.

The minister then urged electoral organizers to estimate an effective and efficient election budget.

"I appeal (to electoral organizers) to calculate the election budget to ensure it will be as low as possible, yet without compromising election targets," he remarked.

He said that at present, the budget must be made effective as the government and the people are still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and there is no certainty that the pandemic will be over by 2024.

"We are currently amid the economic recovery stage; there are a lot of people affected (by the pandemic) and a lot of national strategic projects in regions are yet to be finished. Those indeed need money," Karnavian added.

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Translator: Fauzi, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Suharto
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