Minister Of Religion Affirms That He Will Limit The Travel Of His Staff Service

Indonesian Minister of Religion Nasaruddin Umar during the commemoration of World Anti-Corruption Day at the Ministry of Religion Office, Jakarta, Monday (2/12/2024). BETWEEN/HO-Kemenag

Minister of Religion Nasaruddin Umar reiterated that he would limit any non-effective official travel for each of his staff as a step to achieve budget efficiency.

"We will limit official travel. The Minister of Finance will cut official travel by 50 percent," said Nasaruddin Umar as quoted by ANTARA, Monday, December 2.

He said this efficiency was a direct instruction from President Prabowo Subianto so that the budget could be allocated to more useful and in direct contact with the community.

The Minister of Religion explained that every official trip did not have much impact on the state, institutions, and society. From the research he had read, the implication of using official travel was only 0.5 percent.

"We read the data, the positive effect of official travel is a study. The benefits are based on what is targeted with what is being carried out, the results are 0.5 percent," said Nasaruddin Umar.

So in the future, central, rector, and regional level officials will use digital meeting technology such as Zoom. He views that the use of digital technology has a bigger impact than taking official trips.

In addition, the money spent will not be as big as when you have to go from one region to another. Especially if in the past, every official trip or seminar in a city or country, many bring groups. This will certainly be a waste.

"Why should I bring a group if it can be completed by two or three people. The rectors who attended, I only carried out the president's orders, this is not my initiative but I just dressed it up," he said.

Especially for the chancellor, every invitation to an international seminar will actually leave a void at the university they lead, because the chancellors are busy fulfilling the invitation beside running the campus wheel.

"Therefore, we will arrange an international seminar that invites the rector, please, but do not use state money. The state budget will not be sufficient to finance official travel," he said.

Nasaruddin explained that if efficiency can be done, the budget can be transferred to more useful things, especially for the benefit of the people.

"Please let's save, collect for the welfare of our small employees and the people in need. But we do it proportionally and legally so that it doesn't become a finding," he said.