Shifting The Regional Budget For COVID-19, Anies Promises To No Longer Cut The Salaries For Civil Servants

JAKARTA - DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan admitted that his party is currently preparing to adjust and divert the budget from the DKI Regional Budget for handling COVID-19 cases, which are increasing.

This follows the Instruction of the Minister of Home Affairs Number 15 of 2021 concerning the Java-Bali Emergency Restrictions on Community Activities (PPKM). One of the instructions from Minister of Home Affairs, Tito Karnavian, asked local governments to fund the implementation of Emergency PPKM through their APBD (Regional Budget).

However, Anies guaranteed that DKI would no longer cut and delay the payment of salaries and regional performance allowances (TKD) for DKI Provincial Government Civil Servants to finance the handling of the pandemic

"No (it was cut). Thank God it's safe so far. Don't be afraid of Civil Servants anymore", said Anies at DKI City Hall, Central Jakarta, Thursday, July 8.

Anies admitted that he had cut and postponed the salaries of DKI Provincial Government employees in 2020. The budget that should have been earmarked for payment of salaries and TKD was diverted to finance social assistance to residents whose economy was affected by COVID-19.

"Last year, we shifted the budget allocation for the salaries of Civil Servants employees. It's not uncommon to have their monthly salary cut. We have to make a decision, give social assistance to 1.6 million families or give the same money for 60 thousand Civil Servants. We decide the money it is used for social assistance", said Anies.

Furthermore, Anies did not want to explain in detail the budget shift from other programs for handling COVID-19 apart from unexpected expenditures (BTT).

Regarding the amount of the budget allocation, Anies said there has been no decision because the current needs for handling COVID-19 are different from a few months ago.

"If it is needed to save the citizens of Jakarta, then we will allocate it according to their needs and it moves dynamically. From month to month the shift occurs", explained Anies.

"So, if you look at the data two months ago, it's definitely different from this July because after June we saw a spike in cases", he added.