The Ministry Of Home Affairs Asks Local Governments To Accelerate Budget Allocations For The 2024 Regional Head Elections

Head of the Information Center of the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri) Benni Irwan. BETWEEN/HO-Puspen Ministry of Home Affairs

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Home Affairs has asked local governments to immediately accelerate the budget allocation for the implementation of regional head elections to anticipate plans to accelerate the 2024 Simultaneous Regional Head Elections.

"This is our task now at the Ministry of Home Affairs. Yesterday the Minister (Tito Karnavian) reminded several meeting forums, in Bali yesterday he reminded that yesterday at the inflation meeting he also reminded," said Head of the Information Center of the Ministry of Home Affairs Benni Irwan to reporters reported by ANTARA, Tuesday, September 12.

The government is currently considering issuing a government regulation to replace the law (perppu) which regulates the acceleration of the schedule for the 2024 Simultaneous Regional Head Election (Pilkada). If the Perppu is ratified, the regional elections, which were originally scheduled for November 2024, will be accelerated to September 2024.

If the plan is realized, the stages of the 2024 Pilkada and its budget must have been started and available since November 2023.

Benni revealed that there are still many local governments that have not signed the Regional Grant Agreement (NPHD) for electoral organizations to carry out the regional elections. In fact, it has become a policy that election budgeting comes from the APBN, while regional election funding comes from the APBD of each region.

"There are several regions that have, some have not budgeted for it. We will encourage them to be faster, friends in regional finance also ensure that," said Benni.

Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian previously said that regional grant funds agreed for the 2024 Pilkada must be budgeted for in the 2023 fiscal year as much as 40 percent and 60 percent in the 2024 fiscal year.