Why Sri Mulyani Is Sure Giving THR For Civil Servants, TNI And Polri Can Boost The Economy?

Civil servant illustration. (Photo: Era.id)

JAKARTA - Minister of Finance (Menkeu) Sri Mulyani is optimistic that the distribution of Great Holiday Allowances (THR) for State Civil Servants (ASN) or PNS, as well as the National Army (TNI) and the National Police (Polri), can have a positive impact on economic activity.

This assumption was made by the Minister of Finance based on the comparison scale between the amount of THR and the realization of state spending until mid-April 2021.

The former boss of the World Bank revealed that the THR budget for the State Civil Servants (PNS), the National Army (TNI), and the National Police (Polri) is IDR 45.4 trillion. Of this amount, IDR 30.6 trillion of which was allocated to agencies in the central environment. Meanwhile, another IDR 14.8 trillion was disbursed to local governments.

Meanwhile, the latest state expenditure realization per April 16, 2021, was recorded at IDR 350 trillion. So when compared with the THR fund allocation this year, the holiday allowance has a share of 12.8 percent of all the money that the government has spent on state administration.

"The amount of THR is very significant, and we hope that it will boost economic activity," she said in a virtual press conference for our State Budget (APBN), Thursday, April 22.

Although the government has again banned homecoming activities this year, the Minister of Finance hopes that people who receive the Great Holiday Allowance can use the money received for consumptive activities so that the economy can rotate.

"So even though we can't meet physically, we can send gifts to families in the regions, and also buy clothes to help business people," she said.

On the other hand, using Holiday Allowance (THR) without the need for physical contact can reduce the spread of pandemic figures in the country.

"Of course a controlled pandemic can help the economic recovery process more quickly," she added.

"The condition of Indonesia is anomalously good. When the world experienced a surge in the third wave of transmission, Indonesia tended to slope," continued Sri Mulyani.

On this occasion, the Minister of Finance also explained the use of PEN funds which had touched the amount of IDR 134 trillion. This figure is 19.2 percent of the ceiling provided in 2021 of IDR 699.43 trillion.

This realization is absorbed into several sectors, such as health amounting to IDR 18.5 trillion, IDR 47.9 trillion for social protection, IDR 14.5 trillion for priority programs, IDR 37.7 trillion for MSME and corporate support, and IDR 54.9 trillion for business incentives.