Today's Memory, January 27, 2019: Sri Muyani Disappointed Prabowo Subianto As Minister Of Debt Printer

JAKARTA Memories of today, six years ago, January 27, 2019, the Ministry of Finance (Kemenkeu) admitted that he was offended by Prabowo's words regarding Sri Mulyani as Minister of Debt Printers. They said Prabowo did not deserve to insult the name of government institutions.

Previously, no one doubted that Indonesia's debt had doubled in the Joko Widodo (Jokowi) era. The Ministry of Finance considers the debt to be an important instrument of development, but the Indonesian people view it as another: wrong policy.

Prabowo Subianto once took the path as an opposition in the first period of Jokowi's administration. He attacked all kinds of government acts that were wrong. He acted as the mouthpiece of the Indonesian people's voices.

Take for example when Prabowo throws criticism regarding the behavior of wanting to take a solution to the government's foreign debt. The number two Indonesian presidential candidate considers the Indonesian people to be unsecured if the government relies on debt. Because debt must be paid.

The people also have to pay. People are also miserable. Not to mention that the Jokowi government has a big debt. The debt consistently rose to Rp. 4,778 trillion during the first period.

The government itself does consider debt to be an important part of increasing the lives of the Indonesian people. However, Prabowo said otherwise. He also looked at the Ministry of Finance as a source that continues to encourage the presence of foreign debt.

Prabowo sees this option as not creative. In fact, at any time the accumulated debt could create a big problem for the Indonesian people. He mentioned the title of Minister of Finance when held by Sri Mulyani should have been changed to Minister of Debt Printers.

Prabowo considered the change more appropriate. According to the performance of the Ministry of Finance, so far, it continues to open the tap of debt. However, the welfare of the Indonesian people never happened. The debt is managed incorrectly so that it accumulates and burdens.

"In my opinion, don't mention it again, there is a Minister of Finance. Maybe the minister of debt creators. Debts continue to accumulate, proud of debt, who told others to pay (read: the people). I say that we will collect the best sons and daughters of the Indonesian nation, the best and the brightest sons and daughters of Republic Indonesia.

"We will collect the best from all ethnic groups, from all ethnic groups, all religions, from all backgrounds. Later we will make an agreement, I will call one by one. Ready to work for the nation, ready to be clean, ready not to corrupt, ready not to give projects to families, son-in-law, grandchildren, or grandchildren. If you are not ready, don't be my minister," Prabowo said as quoted by the CNN Indonesia page, January 26, 2019.

Prabowo's strong criticism provoked widespread debate. Some feel that Prabowo's criticism represents the conscience of many people. There are also those who feel that Prabowo as a political figure is not right to call the Minister of Finance the Minister of Debt Printing.

The Ministry of Finance itself considers Prabowo's comments to have echoed the whole ministry on January 27, 2019. They consider Prabowo inappropriate to insult the Ministry of Finance, especially Minister Sri Mulyani. Prabowo must understand that the Ministry of Finance is an important state institution.

This means that all kinds of naming, duties, and functions are of course regulated by the Law (UU). The Ministry of Finance works according to the law including seeking foreign debt. They regretted Prabowo's criticism that incidentally had challenged Jokowi in the 2019 presidential election contestation.

"What was conveyed by Presidential Candidate Prabowo: No more mention of the Minister of Finance, but instead replaced as Minister of Debt Printers. Those remarks greatly hurt our feelings who worked at the Ministry of Finance".

"APBN is stated in a law that is a joint product between the government and all parties in the DPR. The implementation of the APBN Law is reported transparently and audited by an independent BPK institution and discussed with the DPR. All state affairs are regulated by law," said the Head of the Communication and Information Service Bureau of the Ministry of Finance, Nufransa Wira Sakti as quoted on the CNBC page, January 27, 2019.