"We wish to conduct better planning and better budget discussions to assure their accountability."Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo said the disbursement of some Rp6.1 trillion in a number of budget posts was being hampered by a lack of administrative documents.
"We have prepared ourselves to disburse the funds, but we still have to ask ministries and other state institutions to be proactive in preparing administrative documents," he said.
He added that the funds consisted of Rp3.1 trillion in a surplus budget balance (SAL) for infrastructure development, Rp2 trillion in healthcare reserve funds and Rp1 trillion in funds for supporting the Social Security Management Agency (BPJS).
The minister said that the Budgetary Agency of the House of Representatives (DPR) had recently removed the `blockage` and approved the use of the SAL worth Rp3.1 trillion. It was approved only recently due to poor coordination in the implementation of the 2012 revised state budget.
"If ministries or state institutions want to execute a program whose funds are taken from the revised state budget, they should begin with good planning," he said.
The minister added that he had asked the ministries of transportation, public works and disadvantaged regions to allocate the funds through preparing proper documents.
"If they have no term of reference (TOR) and budget cost plan (RAB), the finance ministry could not disburse the funds because we have to assure financial security and account for it to the financial auditors," the minister said.
Regarding a fund amounting to Rp2 trillion, he noted, the fund had been set for the maritime and fisheries affairs and the ministry of agriculture in the first half of 2012.
He said, so far, the ministry of agriculture had not yet tabled an application for the Rp1.4 trillion, even if the chief economic minister had issued an instruction for the use of the fund.
The same thing happened with funds amounting to Rp600 billion for the maritime and fisheries affairs. They seemingly will not be spent for food resilience reserves.
"The ministry of maritime and fisheries affairs has been active in providing supportive documents, but we have to assure that it would be in accordance with the food resilience program. If it is suitable, we will disburse it," the minister added.
Regarding the state budget for 2013, the minister assured that there would be transparency and accountability in the discussion of the 2013 draft budget with the House of Representatives (DPR) to minimize the misuse of funds.
"In the past two years, discussions at the budget committee, at working meetings and a working committee have been open," he said here on Thursday.
The minister added that discussions of draft budgets in the budget committee and the House Commission XI had so far been open and all parties could monitor the results of working meetings of the committee and between the DPR and the government.
He said discussions on the draft budget would cover units of organization, types of spending and proposed programs, and this is to be done because the government wished to improve planning and budget discussions.
"We wish to conduct better planning and better budget discussions to assure their accountability," he said.
He noted, however, that discussions would not reveal details, to prevent parties from taking advantage of them with regard to goods and service procurements.
"I think discussing up to the worksheet would be too far. But we will discuss the matter with DPR members," he said.
To deal with several members of the DPR`s Budget Committee who are under scrutiny by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), the minister said he would hold to the principles of presumption of innocence.
"If they are not yet declared guilty our discussions with them will still continue," he said.
(Uu.A014/INE/KR-BSR/H-YH)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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