'As People's Representatives, We Are Shame', Respond By Maluku DPRD Members To Know Low Budget Absorption

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JAKARTA - Chairman of Commission I of the Maluku DPRD, Amir Rumra assesses that the absorption of the Regional Revenue and Expenditure Budget in Maluku is still low. He asked that next year's APBD can be utilized optimally for the benefit of the community.

"It must be remembered that the Minister of Finance has given warnings and critical notes for local governments to immediately take strategic steps," said Amir in Ambon, Friday, November 26.

Minister of Finance Sri Muryani herself has emphasized that the absorption of the 2021 APBD is only 39 percent until the position enters the end of the year. So it is very unfortunate, said Amir, even the local government itself did not immediately respond to the warning of the minister of finance.

According to him, this kind of problem is actually something funny. The reason is that the regions still need a lot of handling but the budget is instead being silenced and not being used to its full potential.

Therefore, he asked the seriousness of the local government to immediately use the allocated budget to meet the needs of the community.

"As representatives of the people, we are ashamed, because the minister directly criticized us and this indicates that we want a large budget, but on the contrary, we are unable to use it properly," said Amir.

He also hopes that the remaining one month of 2021 can be used by the regional government for the needs of the community.

Moreover, in the process of discussing the Revised APBD, a budget refocusing has been carried out to support the program to handle the COVID-19 pandemic in Maluku.

Previously, the Minister of Home Affairs (Mendagri) Muhammad Tito Karnavian had warned the local government that the realization of the regional budget for revenues and expenditures was still relatively low. In fact, accelerating the realization of the APBD is one of President Joko Widodo's directives in the plenary cabinet meeting.

Tito said that the realization of APBD expenditures also plays a role in supporting economic growth nationally, as does the State Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBN). According to the Minister of Home Affairs, regional spending will encourage more money in circulation in the community. As a result, purchasing power and consumption at the household level will also increase.

In addition, APBD spending can also stimulate private parties whose finances are experiencing contraction due to the COVID-19 pandemic. More than Rp700 trillion of the budget from the central government has been transferred to the regions. Not to mention that the regions have fiscal space from regional original revenues and from other sources in accordance with the law.