Not Wanting Jokowi To Be Irritated Anymore, Budi Gunadi Targets The Ministry Of Health's Domestic Spending To Reach 78 Percent

Budi Gunadi Sadikin/Photo: Antara

JAKARTA - Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin targets spending on goods and services procurement from domestic producers at the Ministry of Health to reach 78 percent.

This target seems to be Budi's way of preventing President Joko Widodo from getting irritated with the large number of procurements in ministries and institutions purchased from abroad (imports). Jokowi also asked his staff to increase purchases from within the country.

"The president gave a target of 40 percent, but we asked if it could be increased from IDR 11 trillion to IDR 28 trillion. So it's not 40 percent but 78 percent, we want it to be purchased domestically," said Budi, quoted on the official website of the Ministry of Health, Wednesday, April 13.

Budi explained, of all purchases of goods and services procurement of IDR 35 trillion, IDR 28 trillion of which had entered the government procurement system.

"We separate medical devices and medicines produced in the country and not domestically produced. If there is imported production, we will close it so we can buy it domestically," said Budi.

Then, the Ministry of Health created a sectoral e-catalogue. Budi said that there were 55 thousand medical devices and drugs in the sectoral e-catalogue. Furthermore, Budi admitted that he would directly supervise the procurement process for the Ministry of Health's goods and services.

“This (monitoring) myself will go down, I will see if it is really not spent, which is IDR The 28 trillion was spent on domestic products," said Budi.

For information, on March 25, Jokowi admitted that he was annoyed because government agencies were still spending their budget on imported products. In fact, domestic Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) can still produce goods needed by agencies.

"We are so stupid. Don't continue this! Stop! We all jump. If we buy all domestic products, our economic growth jumps," Jokowi said during the Affirmation Proud of Made in Indonesia in Bali, Friday, March 25.

One thing that Jokowi has highlighted is the procurement of imported goods at the Ministry of Health, such as beds in various government-owned hospitals. In fact, said Jokowi, there are many manufacturers of medical devices in Bekasi, Tangerang, and Yogyakarta.

"Medical equipment, beds for hospitals. I saw production in Yogya, Bekasi, Tangerang, (even) buying imports. Do you want to continue? Please. I will announce later if I am irritated. This is an imported regional hospital, the Ministry Imported health. I won't read it later. Because now it's very easy, the details, I can monitor," said Jokowi.