TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Finance Minister Sri Mulyani announced the plan to evaluate the budget absorption of the national economic recovery or PEN allocated in the 2020 State Budget. She planned to reallocate the budget in programs that have not been effectively absorbed in Q4 2020.

“The composition of the PEN will change. We will conduct an evaluation, so if a program does not make progress, we will reallocate it to other sectors,” said Sri during a joint work meeting with the House of Representatives (DPR) on Thursday, November 12, 2020.

Sri Mulyani explained that the government has spent 55.1 percent or Rp383.01 trillion from the PEN program's budget of Rp695.2 trillion.

As of November 9, the PEN budget absorbed by the social assistance program hit 77.3 percent or Rp181,11 trillion. MSMEs support program used up Rp95.23 trillion or 82 percent and the local governments absorbed Rp32.47 trillion or 49.2 percent.

Meanwhile, the health sector has only absorbed 35 percent or Rp34.07 trillion of the total Rp97.26 trillion, increased from previously Rp87.55 trillion. Also, business incentives took Rp38.13 trillion, and the smallest budget absorption was recorded for corporate financing at 3.2 percent or Rp2 trillion.

Read: Sri Mulyani Speaks about Overcoming COVID-19 Effects with APBN

FRANCISCA CHRISTY ROSANA