“One of the pillars of a good democracy is the transparency and accountability of the authority we (the Finance Ministry) manage as state treasurer,” she stated during the finals of the 2024 APBN Quiz Competition on Tuesday.
She emphasized that transparency and accountability not only involve publishing APBN documents and regularly reporting budget utilization to the public, but also educating people about how the APBN is created and used.
Although the government has audit institutions, such as the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP) and the Audit Board of Indonesia (BPK), it remains essential for the public to understand and monitor the use of the APBN, she added.
“A strong democracy means the people understand which resources are used to manage the country, how those resources are obtained, how they are allocated, the resulting impacts, and how to ensure accountability,” she explained.
Indrawati noted that educating the public on APBN matters takes time and great effort.
Some Finance Ministry employees also struggle to understand the fundamental laws governing the state budget, she acknowledged.
“Our colleagues at the Finance Ministry still find it challenging to grasp the meaning of the law, let alone implement it. If those responsible for implementing the law are still learning, the public and external stakeholders face even greater difficulty,” she said.
She commended the 2024 APBN Quiz Competition and the APBN Teaching Video Competition for boosting public literacy on how the state budget is created and used.
Indrawati also expressed her gratitude to all the students, teachers, and school principals who participated and demonstrated their knowledge about the APBN through the competitions.
“We will continue using opportunities like this to provide creative education on the APBN. It will be an important investment, fostering younger generations who are knowledgeable and capable of managing the country,” she concluded.
The 2024 APBN Quiz Competition saw participation from over 4,500 teams from junior and senior high schools across the country.
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Reporter: Uyu Septiyati Liman
Editor: Anton Santoso
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