Vice President Wants Innovation Of Budget Use To Handle Poverty

JAKARTA - Vice President Ma'ruf Amin requested that there be a breakthrough in the utilization of the poverty alleviation budget which has been spread across various ministries and institutions so that it can be more effective.

"The vice president has given directions, try to give suggestions so that the separate budgeting (system) can be breached so that we can work collaboratively," said spokesman for the vice president, Masduki Baidlowi, as quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, September 13.

This was conveyed after receiving the Executive Secretary of the National Bureaucratic Reform Steering Committee (KPRBN) Eko Prasojo and his staff, while the Vice President Ma'ruf Amin himself is the Chairman of the KPRBN.

According to the Vice President, said Masduki, if the collaborative work is carried out, it will be easier to eradicate poverty.

"Because the budgets can be more efficient because they are planned together. This is what was said earlier," added Masduki.

Another important thing, Masduki continued, is related to planning and budgeting in ministries/agencies whose orientation is only absorption.

"So, if you make a plan at the ministry/institution, the important thing is that it can be completely absorbed. Not on what benefits will be generated by a plan," said Masduki.

According to Masduki, the vice president also asked KPRBN to find solutions for planning and utilizing budgets in ministries/agencies to achieve the resulting benefit targets.

"So far, it turns out that it has not reached the 'outcome' which is the main target of every state financial planning. But it is more important how this state's money can be absorbed. That is why one of the reasons we talked about sectoral ego issues from ministries and institutions," added Masduki.

According to Masduki, the Vice President also emphasized that this planning and budgeting issue is not only related to poverty alleviation, but also in other fields.

"All of these steps will be carried out so that financial planning and how to spend it can be collaborative to overcome poverty more easily. Not only about poverty but also others, bureaucratic problems that are still hampering it need reform," said Masduki.

At the meeting, Masduki said that KPRBN Executive Secretary Eko Prasojo reported to Vice President Ma'ruf Amin that KPRBN is currently developing a model for strengthening inter-ministerial/institutional synergy to tackle poverty.

"The problem of poverty is handled by various ministries and institutions and so far it turns out that the way it is handled is too sectoral. So the sectoral ego of implementing poverty reduction has become an obstacle," said Masduki.

In this context, said Masduki, KPRBN recommends ways so that planning and budgeting for poverty reduction can be integrated.

"So a coordination meeting (between KPRBN) and the deputy at the Vice President's Secretariat in charge of the matter has been held, and God willing, a (continued) meeting will soon be held by inviting the relevant ministries/institutions," said Masduki.

As for other things, continued Masduki, Eko Prasojo also reported that each ministry/institution has a sectoral planning and budgeting system.

"Because they have regulatory reasons that can carry out their own planning and budgeting, they have been doing it themselves," said Masduki.

Masduki added that for this reason, the Vice President asked KPRBN to immediately find effective solutions to all these problems.

"I think that's what was reported and the Vice President's direction is to seek immediate solutions so that the problems of bureaucratic reform can be implemented efficiently," he added.