Jokowi Allocates IDR 255.3 Trillion For Health In 2022, INDEF: This Is Important, Hopefully Easy To Translate

JAKARTA - Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (INDEF) economist Eko Listiyanto appreciated President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) who prioritized the health sector next year with a budget allocation of Rp255.3 trillion.

"I think this is an important progress related to the budget where efforts to deal with the health sector can be seen from the larger budget allocated, so in my opinion this should be a positive appreciation of the 2022 RAPBN Speech and this Financial Note," said Eko to Antara in Jakarta. , Monday, August 16.

The budget allocation for health was conveyed by Jokowi in the Speech of the 2022 RAPBN and the Financial Note. The INDEF economist estimates that 2022 will be a transition period. Thus, the momentum for handling the health sector during the pandemic is in 2022.

"Next year, the hope is that the direction for the health aspect is much more pronounced, maybe not only in the aspect of handling the pandemic but also perhaps in the aspect of how to support the social security aspect," said Eko.

Eko also hopes that this can be translated into the ease of providing health services to the community, especially for the lower middle class.

Previously, President Jokowi said that the health budget in the 2022 State Budget was planned at Rp255.3 trillion, or 9.4 percent of state spending.

This is one of the six main focuses in the 2022 State Budget policy, namely continuing efforts to control COVID-19 while still prioritizing the health sector.

For handling COVID-19, the government's focus, among others, is anticipating the risk of the impact of COVID-19, by testing, tracing, and treatment, continuing the COVID-19 vaccination program, as well as strengthening socialization and supervision of health protocols.

President Jokowi also wants Indonesia to fix health service facilities from upstream to downstream, from the center to the regions, transformation of primary services, referral services, increasing health resilience, improving the quality and redistribution of health workers, and developing information technology in health services.