Minister Of Home Affairs Permits Local Government To Revise APBD For Handling Corona

Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian (Photo: BNPB documentation)

JAKARTA - The Minister of Home Affairs (Mendagri) Tito Karnavian issued Minister of Home Affairs Regulation Number 20 of 2020. Its contents allow local governments to revise the Regional Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBD) specifically for handling the corona virus (COVID-19).

The provision of access to governors, mayors and regents, as well as the local DPRD to add to the nominal budget is agreed upon by the Ministry of Finance (Kemenkeu).

"Regions can carry out revised APBD with a focus on increasing health capacity, increasing hospital capacity according to standards and also campaigning for prevention," said Tito at Graha BNPB, East Jakarta, Monday, March 16.

In addition to increasing health capacity, the revised APBD is expected to help improve the business world, especially micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Because, by limiting a number of activities made by the regional government, it will certainly have an impact on the decrease in the income of these small businesses.

"To increase the economic resilience of the community, especially vulnerable people, who have not been able to afford this, assistance is provided, apart from the central government providing support in the form of social assistance," said Tito.

Tito also asked village officials to complete administrative requirements regarding the provision of village funds. This is because, he said, there are still 60 percent of village funds from the first phase of 40 percent (per four months) that have not been disbursed from the Ministry of Finance (Kemenkeu) because a number of villages have not completed the APBDes.

"For this reason, I have coordinated with the minister of finance and the president so that as soon as possible the village apparatus will complete these requirements. The government at the sub-district or district level immediately helps, do not make it difficult for the APBDes to be immediately followed by the minister of finance to be transferred immediately. So, the village will carry out a labor-intensive program," he explained Tito.

"Thus, the resilience of the village economy will emerge which will contribute to the resilience of the national economy to face economic pressures," he added.

In addition, Tito asked local governments to reduce activities that do not have urgency, such as ceremonial activities. Also, local governments have been asked not to make overseas visits for the foreseeable future.