Maruarar Sirait First Meeting With Commission V DPR As Minister, Want To Discuss This

PKP Minister Maruarar Sirait attended his inaugural meeting with Commission V DPR RI at the Parliament Complex, Senayan, Jakarta. (Screenshot/Theresia Agatha)

JAKARTA - Minister of Housing and Settlement Areas (PKP) Maruarar Sirait had his first meeting with Commission V of the DPR RI. At this meeting, he wanted to discuss the budget of the ministry and structural organization and work procedures (SOTK).

The man who is familiarly called Ara said that the discussion of the budget and SOTK is one way to be transparent because his party will use state money for various housing programs.

"I presented the SOTK plan, my structure, because I not only want to secure state money, but also make state money efficient," said Ara when he arrived at Commission V of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Tuesday, October 29.

When asked if he would ask the DPR for additional budget, Ara did not answer clearly. He only said that his party would be open to explaining the budget owned in 2024 and 2025.

"I'll just say it's open as it is. This, right, we want openness. Our 2024 budget is open, our 2025 budget is open, I plan this SOTK to be open. I'll see, I ask for the meeting to be open," he said.

To note, the meeting with Commission V of the DPR RI was attended by other ministries, such as the Ministry of Public Works (P), the Ministry of Transportation (Kemenhub), the Ministry of Rural and Development of Disadvantaged Regions, the Ministry of Transmigration, BMKG and Basarnas.

Previously, the Ministry of Housing and Settlement Areas (PKP) led by Maruarar Sirait or Ara received a budget of IDR 5.07 trillion for 2025.

The budget will be focused on building three million houses, which is a program made by President Prabowo Subianto.

"Imagine this is our budget, Rp5 trillion (for) 2025. Asked to build how many million houses? Three million houses. What is the budget for 2024? Rp14.68 trillion," said Ara in an event entitled 'Discussion of the Three Million Houses Program' which was held at the Auditorium of the Ministry of Public Works, Jakarta, Monday, October 28.

Ara added that the total 2025 budget of IDR 5.07 trillion is already included in the allocation for the capital city of Nusantara (IKN) next year, which is around IDR 1.2 trillion.