TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has ordered the ministries, institutions as well as regional governments to allocate their budget for handling the COVID-19 outbreak. More specifically, Jokowi emphasized the importance of health management, social safety net provision, and the provision of business stimulus for SMEs, as the three priority matters that must be addressed.

President Jokowi's instructions are based on reports from many regional governments that have yet to make alterations to their regional budget, or are still working on a 'business as usual' basis. Jokowi noted that there are 103 regions that have yet to prepare a budget for the provision of a social safety net.

In addition, Jokowi identified 140 regions that have not budgeted for handling the economic impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak, as well as 34 regions that have not reported their budgetary changes for handling COVID-19.

"I noted that there are still a number of regions whose Regional Budget (APBD) is still business as usual. I ask the Minister of Home Affairs (Tito Karnavian), I ask the Minister of Finance (Sri Mulyani Indrawati) to reprimand them," President Jokowi said in a video conference plenary cabinet meeting from the Bogor Palace, on Tuesday, April 14, 2020.

In practice, Jokowi instructed the ministries, institutions as well as regional governments to go through their regional budgets, and eliminate expenses that are not prioritized, in order to free up funds allocated to dampen the impacts of COVID-19. "Cut out expenses that are not a priority," he added.

ANTARA | DIO SUHENDA (INTERN TRANSLATOR)