TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Finance Minister Sri Mulyani said that central government spending until March 15, 2024, reached Rp328.9 trillion, or 13.3 percent of the budget ceiling.

Government spending realization in this period rose 17 percent compared to last year. Ministry/agency spending surpassed Rp165.4 trillion or 15.2 percent of the budget ceiling.

"[The spending] was mainly for the distribution of social assistance and the general elections," Sri Mulyani said in a press conference at the Ministry of Finance office, Jakarta on Monday, March 25, 2024.

For non-ministerial spending, the government spent Rp163.4 trillion. This figure is equivalent to 11.9 percent of the budget ceiling. According to Sri Mulyani, the increase in non-ministerial spending was influenced, among others, by the realization of energy subsidies and pension benefits disbursement.

Sri Mulyani explained that citizens directly received Rp254.7 trillion of the spending thus far. Hence, the majority of central government spending is in the form of direct assistance to the community.

Central government spending, among others, is disbursed through social, farmers, MSMEs protection budget; education; and infrastructure. The Family Hope Program or PKH spent over Rp5.7 trillion, the Food Aid Card amounted to Rp11.3 trillion, and assistance for agricultural equipment and machinery in the form of tractors amounted to Rp74.15 billion. Meanwhile, fuel subsidy spending amounted to Rp1.7 trillion and 3-kilogram LPG subsidies amounted to Rp6.8 trillion.

The state revenue in this period is still higher than state spending, with Rp493.2 trillion. However, the state revenue contracted by 5.4 percent compared to last year.

RIANI SANUSI PUTRI

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