Sri Mulyani's Subordinates: Next Year's Health Budget Will Increase To 9 Percent From The Normal 5 Percent Of The State Budget

Illustration (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Deputy Minister of Finance (Wamenkeu) Suahasil Nazara said that the health sector is still the government's priority in preparing state finances which is reflected in the APBN.

According to him, in normal situations before the pandemic, health funds were around 5 percent of state budget spending. However, since COVID-19 hit Indonesia, the government decided to increase the allocation of spending in this sector for more optimal handling.

"Usually in the laws and regulations it is always stated that the health budget is at least 5 percent of the total state expenditure, so this year there are around 8 percent," he said in a press statement as quoted on Thursday, September 30.

In fact, continued Suahasil, in the preparation of the 2022 RAPBN the government and parliament agreed to increase the portion.

"Next year we estimate between 8 and 9 percent of state spending for health, and this is of course to prepare our health functions," he said.

For information, in the 2021 State Budget the health budget is allocated Rp. 214.96 trillion which is included in the National Economic Recovery (PEN) scheme.

Meanwhile, as of September 17, it is known that the absorption of the budget reached Rp. 91.28 trillion or around Rp. 45.3 percent of the provided ceiling.

The funds were used for various purposes, including the cost of treating COVID-19 patients which reached almost half a million people, incentives for central health workers (nakes) as many as 1.07 million people, compensation for the death of 397 health workers, procurement of 105 million doses of vaccines, as well as helping with contributions. JKN for 29.29 million people.

Just so you know, for this year's state spending is stated at Rp2,750 trillion. Then, in the 2022 State Budget Bill, the state expenditure sector was agreed at Rp. 2,714 trillion.

“The government allocates a larger budget to encourage health functions. The implementation of tracing, testing, treatment, patient isolation, implementation of vaccination programs, as well as various kinds of communication and coordination between the central government and local governments continue to be carried out to encourage health functions," concluded Deputy Minister of Finance Suahasil.