KPU Allocates The 2024 Gubernatorial Election Budget In NTB Of IDR 377 Billion, Up IDR 147 Billion From The 2018 Pilkada

Illustration of the KPU building in Jakarta. (Antara)

NTB - The West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Regional House of Representatives is still reviewing the General Elections Commission (KPU) proposal regarding the draft budget for the 2024 Governor and Deputy Governor Elections. The budget allocation amounted to Rp377 billion.

"That's just a proposal, it will definitely be studied again later," said Deputy Chairman of the NTB DPRD, Muzihir in Mataram, NTB, Monday, September 13.

Whether the proposal is realistic or not, according to Muzihir, it doesn't matter. He came from, the budget design proposed by the NTB KPU was only in the form of a proposal.

"The proposal is normal, the name is also just a proposal. We'll see if it's realistic or not, it hasn't been decided yet," he said.

Muzihir admitted that the figures proposed for the simultaneous Pilkada budget proposed by the NTB KPU to the NTB Provincial Government (Pemprov) were quite heavy in the midst of the current state of the APBD. However, that does not mean the amount of the budget will be the same as that.

"This means that it doesn't have to be decided at IDR 377 billion. Because later it can be reduced. There will definitely be a way out, because after all, this Pilkada so we have to make it a success," said Muzihir.

He added, although currently the regional financial budget is burdened with 2021 debt being paid in 2022, he is optimistic that the debt can be paid off, so that in the 2023 APBD there will be no more debt remaining.

"We hope that the debts that exist in this multi-year year can be paid off, so that in 2023, we will not be burdened with debt anymore," he said.

Previously, the NTB KPU proposed a draft budget plan for the gubernatorial election in 2024 to reach IDR 377 billion.

Secretary of the NTB KPU, Mars Ansori Wijaya said that currently the budget plan for the gubernatorial election in 2024 has been completed and handed over to the Governor of NTB, Zulkieflimansyah.

In terms of numbers, said Ansori, the NTB gubernatorial election budget plan is quite fantastic, reaching Rp377 billion. This amount is greater than the NTB gubernatorial election budget plan in 2018 which amounted to Rp230 billion.

"But the results of the discussion were Rp. 188 billion which was approved by TAPD. After the series of three regencies and cities that jointly carried out the Pilkada, namely West Lombok, East Lombok, and Bima City as well as the NTB gubernatorial election, the figure of Rp. 188 billion then decreased again to Rp. 167 billion. And that's what we used for the 2018 gubernatorial election budget," said Mars Ansori.

There are several reasons for the draft budget for the 2024 gubernatorial election, which is greater than the 2018 NTB gubernatorial election budget draft.

First, because the NTB gubernatorial election budget plan was held in an atmosphere still under the COVID-19 pandemic, he said, so this affects the procurement of a number of facilities, such as personal protective equipment (PPE), organizing health costs such as COVID-19 health tests and buying vitamins.

The basis is the decision of the Indonesian KPU Number 444/HK.03.1-Kpt/01/KPU/IX/2020 concerning the Third Amendment to KPU Decree Number 1312/HK.03.01-Kpt/01/KPU/VIII/2019 concerning Technical Standards and Instructions for the Preparation of Budgets for Goods/Services and Honoraryarium for the Election of Governors and Deputy Governors, Regents and Deputy Regents and/or Deputy Mayors of 2020.

"And for now, the decision has not been abolished. But if the government decides that the Pilkada and Pilgub will not be held during the pandemic, then the budget for the pandemic will be issued, so that it could be reduced," said Mars Ansori.

Apart from the NTB gubernatorial election budget being held in an atmosphere of the COVID-19 pandemic, the second number of Voting Sites (TPS) has also increased. In the 2018 gubernatorial election, the number of polling stations is 8,336, bringing the number in the 2024 gubernatorial election to 8,787 polling stations.

"Indeed, it (TPS, ed) is also the largest element of improvement, but it has not been agreed. It is possible that later the number of TPS will also decrease," said Ansori Wijaya.

The third continued Ansori Wijaya, which made the budget very large, namely honorariums for adhoc bodies, such as the District Election Committee (PPK) and the Voting Organizing Group (KPPS) are increasing. The basis is the Decree of the Minister of Finance Number S-647/MK.02/202 regarding the Other Input Fees Unit (SBML) for the General Election and Election Stages.

"So, what makes this also big is the cost of honorarium for ad hoc bodies. This also affects because the ad hoc body has increased based on the Decree of the Minister of Finance. Valuable for General Elections and Regional Head Elections. For example, in the past it was Rp. 1.5 million, now it is Rp. 2.5 million. But this is also based on regional capabilities so that it could be reduced," he said.

"Not to mention that later because it is still a pandemic, meeting costs will be carried out with zoom meetings so that it adds more costs. But we hope not, so that in the next meetings we can meet in person," continued Ansori Wijaya.

However, his party hopes that the NTB gubernatorial election will not be held in the atmosphere of the COVID-19 pandemic, so that if that is the case, the costs for the regional election can be reduced.

"Hopefully we will no longer be in a pandemic period so that it can be reduced," he said.