Deputy Minister Sudaryono: Budget Efficiency For The Development Of Agricultural Sector Schools

Deputy Minister of Agriculture (Wamentan) Sudaryono. (Photo: Theresia Agatha/VOI)

JAKARTA - Deputy Minister of Agriculture (Wamentan) Sudaryono opened his voice regarding the widespread budget efficiency protests by students and the general public.

He admitted that he did not mind because he was part of the freedom of expression regulated by law.

However, continued Sudaryono, what should have been protested was the waste of the budget, not the savings efforts made by the government.

"I just think it's funny, what should be protested is a waste. How come our savings are being protested," he said in an official statement, Friday, February 20.

Sudaryono emphasized that the budget efficiency efforts made by President Prabowo Subianto, both at the ministry, institution, and local government levels, are strategic steps that will encourage national economic growth.

Sudaryono said the results of the budget efficiency will later be allocated for school development, improvement of agricultural infrastructure, and increasing investment through the Anagata Nusantara Power Agency (Danantara).

"And also, I can confirm that from this efficiency no one has been laid off, no social assistance has been reduced, no scholarships have been removed. All of these good programs are not reduced," he said.

According to Sudaryono, this efficiency aims for the progress of the nation. The budget that has been collected from official travel, for example, which reaches Rp44 trillion per year, can be diverted for the construction of schools and the agricultural sector.

"Well, by reducing the half, or Rp22 trillion, we can improve schools. Why? Because the President has identified from all of these budget items, there is a budget that benefits one ministry. After checking there, a lot of budgets are withheld," he said.

Sudaryono explained that many of the budgets that were previously ineffective and were not on target, such as the budget for stunting alleviation, which did not reach its destination.

The budget, according to him, is often channeled to other irrelevant posts, so efficiency steps are needed to withstand unproductive expenses.

"The title of the cancellation of the post, as soon as the money is checked, I don't know where. So a lot of budgets are detained for 1 billion and 2 billion at the ATK and others, so this efficiency does not mean entering the president's pocket but is diverted to book quotas, adding seeds and fertilizers," said Sudaryono.