JAKARTA - Member of Commission II of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia from the PAN faction, Guspardi Gaus, assessed that the proposed 2024 election budget of Rp. 86.2 trillion by the General Elections Commission (KPU) was too expensive. He asked the KPU to recalculate rationally by prioritizing the principle of efficiency.
"Efficiency is a necessity. In principle, the first budget must be rational, the second must be objective, the third must be efficient and effective," said Guspardi to reporters, Tuesday, September 21. To note, the proposed budget for the 2024 General Election experienced a significant increase when compared to the 2014 Election budget which was around Rp. 16 trillion. Meanwhile, the 2019 election is IDR 27 trillion.
Guspardi continued, the 2024 election budget increased more than three times from the 2019 election due to 3 things. First, the increase in the salaries of election officers, second, there is an allocation for office infrastructure. Third, for vehicle operating costs.
"The KPU should be creative and innovative in planning the budget," he said.
The PAN politician reminded that the KPU must be sensitive to Indonesia's economic conditions which have not yet recovered due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Guspardi, this condition should have been taken into consideration by the KPU in proposing the 2024 Simultaneous Election budget.
Moreover, he said, the KPU chairman stated that 70 percent of the total proposed budget was for honorariums.
"If it is calculated, it means that Rp60 trillion is only used for the honorarium. Because the KPU proposes the honorarium for ad hoc agency officers according to the regional minimum wage (UMR) in their respective regions," he said.
Guspardi said the amount of honorarium for the sub-district election committee (PPK), voting committee (PPS), and voting group (KPPS) was proposed to increase in accordance with the regional minimum wage (UMR) of the district/city concerned. We'll ask there later," said the Head of the Public Relations Division of the National Police Inspector General Argo Yuwono. In addition, the soaring budget for the 2024 General Election is also for the procurement of office infrastructure, which is worth around Rp. 3.2 trillion. In fact, said Guspardi, the KPU does not have to build a new office. use buildings or warehouses that are not used by district/city and provincial local governments. KPU should approach the Minister of Home Affairs who is the coach of regional heads as a facilitator to communicate with regional heads so that the office procurement can be loaned from regional heads, "he explained.
Not to mention, added Guspardi, for the provision of mobility, which amounts to around Rp. 287 billion. The amount, according to him, is also not small.
"I wonder why other methods are not used or use an existing car," said Guspardi. "Therefore, Commission II of the DPR will immediately conduct consignment with the government and election organizers to discuss further the 2024 election budget," he continued.
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