Human Development Grants Must be Under One Ministry: Jokowi

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo [Jokowi] has requested that the 2019 State Budget (APBN) on Indonesia’s human resources must not be spread across multiple ministries, but rather controlled by one institution or ministry that can focus on funding clear programs.

“The funding should not be spread [to several Ministries]. No!” said the seventh Indonesian president while opening the plenary cabinet session at the Merdeka Palace today.

Furthermore, Jokowi explained that the large budget in holding exhibitions were spread across 17 ministries or agencies, which made it seem that the area was underfunded.

Jokowi thought that was also the reason Indonesia had always held small-scale exhibitions whenever the country participated in international-scale exhibitions. 

Read: Jokowi Glad SOE Can Compete with Competitors 

“We participated in Dubai, Shanghai, United States, but with just one or two exhibit stands near the toilet, for what? That would only reduce the value of our country as a brand,” he said.

Another example, according to Jokowi, was the budget prepared for programs of studies that existed in almost every ,inistry with a total grant of Rp24.9 trillion. He then questioned the results of these research.

“What’s the result of the Rp24.9 trillion?” Jokowi asked. 

Jokowi gave an example of the massive infrastructure budget that was handled properly where the results could be evident 3.5 years later. 

AHMAD FAIZ IBNU SANI