Suharso Monoarfa Reveals Food For State Budget Expenditures Can Reduce Deficit Rates

JAKARTA - Minister of National Development Planning/Head of the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) Suharso Monoarfa said to reduce the deficit figure in the range of 1.5 percent to 1.8 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) could by cutting the 2025 State Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBN) expenditure.

According to Suharso, to achieve the deficit target, it can be done with a reduction in spending of at least 1 percent or around Rp230 trillion from the total 2025 APBN.

"There is a central expenditure that some of us can do a little spacing, if 1 percent it's about GDP 2025, our calculation is around Rp. 23,000 trillion, so (it will be cut) around Rp. 230 trillion, so it's not too big," he told the media crew at the Parliamentary Complex. RI, Wednesday, June 5.

However, Suharso conveyed that this still requires further discussion. "This is still under preliminary discussion, after which there will be the next stage of the Presidential Decree regarding the official RKP as the basis for the preparation of the APBN, this is currently being discussed," he said.

Suharso hopes that the deficit in the 2025 State Budget can be lowered to a level of 1.5 percent -1.8 percent. This is necessary so that the next government has a looser fiscal space.

"We hope that the Minister of Finance (Sri Mulyani Indrawati) and Commission XI, if that is agreed upon, we want the deficit to be even lower by 1.5 percent to 1.8 percent so that there is fiscal space for the government to come if it will use the article," he said.

Suharso explained, this figure is a pure idea from him so that the new government has a looser fiscal space.

"This is my pure idea, from Bappenas," he said.

He added that a lower deficit is needed by the new government so that there is a looser fiscal space in running its program.

"Indeed, we will meet with a team from the tempak, Mr. Prabowo, officially so that we can synchronize it," he said.