TEMPO.CO, Jakarta-The government spent Rp865 trillion of its budget in the first half of this year, or just or 41.5 percent of the total fund allocated in the State Budget. In the same period last year, the absorption rate was slightly lower at Rp752. 1 trillion or 37.9 percent.
Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro is confident that government spending will be faster in semester two, as project biddings are finalizing. Bambang even said that government spending could reach 100 percent by the end of the year.
One of this year's biggest budget posts is to the Public Works and Public Housing Ministry, which amounts to Rp97 trillion. Unfortunately, as per July 25, the ministry had only spent Rp31.7 trillion or just 30.46 percent. To accelerate budget absorption, the ministry's secretary general Taufik Widjoyono said they will implement double work shifts and seven-day work weeks. That way, budget use is expected to reach 94 percent by the end of this year.
Another large budget allocation is to the Transportation Ministry. As of July 21, the ministry had only used Rp12 trillion or just 28.06 percent of it’s the Rp42.9 trillion allotment. The ministry is targeting to use 35.24 percent of its budget by the end of July. They plan to hold 132 work auction packages worth Rp433 billion by the end of this month.
ALI HIDAYAT
