Good News From Sri Mulyani's Subordinates: Giving BLT Cooking Oil Will Not Widen The State Budget Deficit

JAKARTA - The Director General (Dirjen) of the Ministry of Finance (Kemenkeu) Budget Isa Rachmatarwata emphasized that the state's financial structure is sufficient to meet the funding needs of the direct cash assistance (BLT) distribution program for cooking oil to the public.

According to Isa, the 2022 State Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBN) has room to realize the social assistance policy. He also rejected the notion that the cooking oil BLT scheme would put excessive pressure on state finances, thereby potentially widening the budget deficit.

"So far, we still see it as measurable, meaning that it is still within the reach of our 2022 state budget," he said when giving a virtual press statement on Friday, April 8.

Isa added that the actual BLT budget for cooking oil was taken from this year's National Economic Recovery (PEN) budget post.

"The policy to provide additional social assistance, namely cooking oil BLT, is still part of the PEN program that we previously budgeted for," he said.

According to VOI records, the 2022 PEN funds amount to Rp.455.62 trillion. The figures are then distributed into three main clusters. The first is the health cluster of IDR 122.54 trillion.

Two are community protection clusters of IDR 154.76 trillion. It is in this second cluster that the BLT cooking oil budget originates. In addition, there are other program focuses aimed at maintaining the purchasing power of the poor, and addressing extreme poverty.

Then the third cluster is strengthening economic recovery with a budget of Rp. 178.32 trillion, which focuses on creating job opportunities and increasing productivity.

Meanwhile, the realization of PEN funds until April 1, 2022 was recorded at IDR 29.3 trillion or 6.4 percent of the provided budget ceiling.

"We will continue to monitor developments that will occur in the future," concluded Isa.