Sayonara Surplus! It Is Believed That The State Budget Will Be In Deficit Starting In April Due To Increased Personnel Spending

JAKARTA – An economic observer from the Center of Reform on Economics (CORE) study institute, Yusuf Rendy Manilet, revealed that the current state budget surplus that is currently occurring in the first three months of 2022 will not last long.

This is because the supporting factor for state revenue from the commodity sector is only temporary. Moreover, this year's State Budget structure is designed to be on a deficit path as stated in the law.

Rendy also estimates that the state's financial deficit will begin in April 2022 in line with the large government spending burden.

“The surplus condition can be influenced by the increase in revenue and performance from state spending. For April, there is a chance that the budget will be in deficit again", he said when contacted by VOI on Tuesday, April 26.

According to Rendy, several assumptions cause the shopping burden to be large. The first is personnel spending, which tends to increase during Ramadan. Second, the government's obligation to provide the 13th salary to State Civil Apparatus (ASN) in the middle of the year by the provisions that have been in effect so far.

"The deficit could occur in line with state spending which will be greater supported by the realization of personnel expenditures and also the distribution of the 13th salary", he said.

For information, the government through the Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani has set the THR budget for this year at IDR 34.3 trillion. This figure is distributed to the central ASN, TNI, and Police in the amount of IDR 10.3 trillion, to the regional ASN of IDR 15 trillion, and pensioners of IDR 9 trillion.

Meanwhile, the state budget until March 2022 was still recorded at IDR 10.3 trillion. Last month's surplus was formed from the higher state revenue of IDR 501 trillion compared to state expenditure of IDR 490.6 trillion.