It's Time To Remove BLBI Recaliberative Interest Payment

Expert Staff of the BLBI DPD RI Special Committee, Hardjuno Wiwoho. (Photo: Special)

JAKARTA - The government must focus on efforts to eliminate all budget items that do not contribute to reducing the burden on public spending. One of them is the payment post for the Recapitalization bond subsidy for the former Bank Indonesia Liquidity Assistance (BLBI). This step is important in order to save state finances or the state budget in the midst of the current economic conditions is very difficult. This affirmation was conveyed by the Expert Staff of the BLBI DPD RI Special Committee, Hardjuno Wiwoho in Jakarta, Saturday, October 1. "Since the last 20 years, I have taken to the streets to make the government abolish the payment of the ex-BLBI recap bond subsidy. This is an unproductive budget and burdens our state budget," he said. Unfortunately, the insistence on removing the payment of BLBI Rekap Bonds is not heeded. In fact, this bond interest payment makes the state budget unhealthy. "I emphasize again, this is a warning to our budget. If this people's money continues to be used for things that are not important, then our state budget will be broken and this will be a threat to the future of this nation's children and grandchildren," he explained. Hardjuno admitted that he was not sincere if the people's tax money was continuously allowed to pay the burden of the recap bond interest subsidy until 2043. This policy is clearly very unfair and hurts the people's sense of justice. Moreover, the figure is worth a total of Rp. 4,000 trillion. "Therefore, it would be nice if the very large funds were used to improve the welfare of the Indonesian people. This is much more useful than being wasted for things that are not important, he added. Furthermore, Hardjuno emphasized that in difficult economic conditions like today, budget efficiency is one way that must be done by the government. Including removing the allocation of interest payments for recap bonds that have been disbursed by the government in the APBN. Hardjuno believes that the interest payments for these recap bonds will continue to be a burden on the state budget in the future. Especially if the government does not take a policy of removing the interest payments for BLBI recap bonds. This situation poses a serious threat to the state budget in the future. "I remind the government to care about the current condition of our state budget. That there is a budget currency that has a very large value but pretends they don't know everything. Yes, the budget for the interest payment subsidy for the recap bonds, which is still Rp50 trillion a year, that needs to be questioned," said Hardjuno. In a difficult world situation, the state can no longer turn a blind eye to people's losses over the payment of BLBI recap bonds. Over the past 20 years, if an average of IDR 60 trillion is paid for recap interest, there have been IDR 1,200 trillion wasted. It even benefits conglomerates who then control the economy of the lives of many people. "Just check who are the importers of wheat? The recipients of BLBI and recap bonds too. I am excited that later the issue will be about meeting efficiency again. It is forbidden to meet at the hotel again, the issue has stalled," said Hardjuno.