TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Ministry of Communication and Information has completed the refocusing of its budget posture for 2020. The ministry managed to save Rp478.4 billion, which would be reallocated for the Covid-19 rescue budget.

"The Ministry's 2020 budget, as stated in the Perpres 54 of 2020, is cut from Rp5.6 trillion to Rp5.1 trillion," Communications and Information Minister Johnny Gerald Plate said in a release sent to Tempo on Wednesday, April 8th.

The refocusing of the budget was done in accordance with Presidential Regulation No.54/2020 on the Changes in State Budget Posture and Expenditure for the Fiscal Year 2020. The bill stated that the government will increase the budget by Rp255.1 trillion, taken from cuts and budget-savings in a number of ministries and institutions.

The budget refocusing aims to maintain financial system stability with a focus on three main expenditures: health spending, social security nets, and economic recovery.

Other ministries, including the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) and the Ministry of Youth and Sports, have also announced the amount of budgets they are relocating for Covid-19 rescue efforts.

The Public Housing Ministry shaved off Rp24.53 trillion and the Ministry of Youth and Sports reallocated Rp279 billion. The ministries cut the budgets from posts that are seen as unnecessary at the moment, such as officials' trips, as well as canceling work packages that have not been auctioned.

ANTARA