President Jokowi Orders To Accelerate Realization Of APBN And APBD

President Jokowi/DOK ANTARA

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) ordered ministers, heads of institutions, and local governments to accelerate the realization of the APBN and APBD in order to provide economic stimulus for the community.

"It's already November 2021, it's already December. Accelerate the realization of APBN and APBD. The state budget means that ministries/agencies must concentrate on accelerating the realization," said President Jokowi in a plenary cabinet meeting at the presidential office, quoted by Antara, Wednesday, November 17.

The President also asked the Minister of Home Affairs (Mendagri) Tito Karnavian to pay close attention to the realization of the APBD. The Minister of Home Affairs must emphasize to regional heads that the realization of the APBD is very important to grow economic activity, especially in the regions.

"The Minister of Home Affairs has also given attention to the APBD, whose budget absorption is still small. Emphasize to them that this APBD is important for our economic growth," Jokowi said.

He gave an example of the realization of social protection funds that only reached 77 percent of the Budget Implementation List (DIPA), then labor-intensive programs were only 77 percent, while support to MSMEs and corporations was only 60 percent.

The government targets economic growth in 2021 to reach 3.7-4.5 percent (year on year / yoy) even though it is still during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 APBN is set with state expenditures of Rp. 2,750 trillion and state revenues of Rp. 1,743.6 trillion. Meanwhile, in the third quarter of 2021, economic growth slowed to 3.51 percent (year on year/yoy) compared to the second quarter of 2021 due to the impact of Enforcement of Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM). In the second quarter of 2021, Indonesia's economic growth reached 7.07 percent (yoy).