Budget Absorption Ahead Of Christmas 2022 And New Year 2023 It Is Not Clear, Commission VI Of The House Of Representatives Asks The Meeting Of Meetings With The Ministry Of Trade

DPR-MPR Building. (Dino Januarsa-Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Member of Commission VI of the House of Representatives, Deddy Yevri Sitorus, questioned the failure of a working meeting (raker) with the Ministry of Trade (Kemendag). The working meeting was supposed to be held on Wednesday, December 14.

Deddy reminded that today, Thursday, December 15, a plenary meeting has been scheduled for the closing of the trial period, while there is no clarity regarding the absorption of the budget and the readiness of goods ahead of the 2022 Christmas and 2023 New Year holidays.

"Thursday has closed the trial period, but the last meeting was postponed without clarity from the Ministry of Trade," said Deddy in his statement, quoted from Antara, Thursday, December 15.

According to Deddy, the two meetings that had been scheduled for one month were canceled without clarity from the Ministry of Trade.

"As a member of the DPR, I frankly feel offended by the arrogance of the Minister of Trade (Zulkifli Hasan)," he said.

During President Joko Widodo's administration, continued Deddy, this is the first time that the Trade Minister has behaved uncooperatively and tends to be arrogant. So far, he said, there have never been any problems in communication or cooperation between Commission VI and the Trade Minister.

"This one is different. As a political person and former legislator, Zulkifli Hasan understands constitutional duties and the importance of partnerships that respect each other," he said.

As a year-end agenda and entering the 2022 Christmas and New Year 2023 holidays, Commission VI of the DPR held a working meeting to evaluate budget absorption and the readiness of food commodities and other important materials.

This means, said Deddy, that it is currently crucial, where Commission VI wants to ensure that the budget is absorbed and the government is ready in terms of availability and price control of basic goods.

"However, this time Commission VI cannot carry out these two important agendas because of the attitude of the minister of trade which tends to cut communication and unilaterally cancel meetings," he added.

Therefore, Deddy asked President Jokowi to remind ministers who do not carry out their obligations seriously and have no good intentions. Deddy suspects that Zulkifli Hasan deliberately avoided Commission VI of the DPR so that he could freely use his power for his own political interests.

"This has been proven by the blunder of the Government's cooking oil distribution program, which is used as a campaign arena and only channeled through the minister's political path. I hope that the president will remind the minister of trade about the importance of harmonious relations between the ministry and its partners in the DPR," he said.