The minister made the statement in her opening speech at a graduation event of the students of the Polytechnic of State Finance (PKN STAN) in Jakarta on Thursday.
"I hope that all graduates of STAN understand politics. Politics demonstrate that every activity could have consequences for a broad population of society. You must comprehend politics at the micro and even global levels because state finance is a political instrument," she told PKN STAN graduates.
The minister reminded the event's audience that state finance is not merely about accounting, as it is often utilized as a political object.
Hence, managers of state finance are no strangers to critics, especially those managing taxes and customs, she noted.
Mulyani then called on PKN STAN graduates who are expected to become future officials at the Finance Ministry, to have a strong mindset required for properly receiving and responding to critics.
"You should not run away from critics. I want you to become state finance managers that can give explanations to the public. Do not work at the Ministry of Finance if you still have doubts on serving the Indonesian nation as state finance managers," she affirmed.
Furthermore, the state treasurer urged the graduates to not stop learning, so they can come up with solutions to the issue of state finance being used as a political object.
She noted that state finance is not only vulnerable to be used as a domestic political object but it can also affect Indonesia's relations with other countries.
Generally, respected countries are those that have good economic performance, she remarked.
"You are a crucial element that can make Indonesia stronger. By comparing Indonesia to other countries, we can know whether we should put even more significant efforts and what should be improved. This is our duty," she remarked.
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Translator: Imamatul S, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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