"Regarding financial auditing, the BPK has so far encouraged the central and regional governments to increase the quality of state finance accountability," President Joko Widodo said in his State of the Nation Address before the Annual Plenary Session of the Peoples Consultative Assembly (MPR) here on Friday.
Over the past one year, the BPK has intensively increased its auditing on programs that were related to the peoples prosperity, the President said.
"It particularly stressed on economic aspects, efficiency, effectiveness and obedience toward regulations," Joko Widodo said in his address he made in conjunction with the 70th anniversary of Indonesias independence.
Earlier, President Joko Widodo in a budget meeting, asked that basic assumptions in the Draft 2016 State Budget should be realistically set based on the latest economic conditions.
"The basic macro economic assumptions should be realistically set based on the latest economic developments. We want all assumption to be set realistically," he said when chairing a plenary cabinet meeting at the Presidential Palace on Tuesday.
The cabinet meeting, which commenced at around 3 p.m. local time, discussed the amount of funds to be allocated in the draft 2016 state budget and the simplification of the social assistance fund program for 2016, among others.
At the meeting, which was also attended by Vice President Jusuf M. Kalla, President Jokowi called to give special attention to managing subsidy funds.
"Electricity, fuel, and non-energy subsidies must be recalculated, so that they will reach the target," he noted.
He also pointed out that the amount of funds transferred to regions, including budget allocations for villages, will be higher than that set aside for ministries and government institutions in 2016.
"Furthermore, we must exercise caution in conducting control on the field," he affirmed.
The president added that the distribution of the social assistance funds in 2016 will lay emphasis on the education, health, and poverty alleviation sectors.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2015
