Sri Mulyani Alludes To The Election Budget In The 2023 RAPBN, How Will It Continue?

Illustration (Photo: Doc. Ministry of Finance)

JAKARTA - Minister of Finance (Menkeu) Sri Mulyani said that the government had included the 2024 election budget as part of the state's financial policy in the 2023 State Revenue and Expenditure Budget Plan (RAPBN).

This was conveyed by the Minister of Finance during a press conference after attending the DPR Plenary Session related to the delivery of the macroeconomic framework and the main points of next year's fiscal policy to the members of the council.

"Of course we all know that 2023 is also a political year, so we must anticipate in this case all the needs (of funds for elections)," he said at the Senayan Parliament Complex, Jakarta on Friday, May 20.

According to the Minister of Finance, this effort cannot be separated from the mandate carried out by the government in supporting political and constitutional regeneration in the country. In addition, he also said that the 2023 RAPBN will continue to ensure that the 2024 elections run properly.

"(This is support) for the political cycle in order to properly prepare for the 2024 election," he said.

However, the state treasurer did not expressly reveal the amount of the budget allocation provided next year for the implementation of the five-year democratic party.

Even so, VOI noted that the Ministry of Finance is known to have allocated a budget for the 2024 election in the amount of IDR 19.5 trillion in the 2023 indicative ceiling.

This was revealed by the Deputy Minister of Finance (Wamenkeu) Wamenkeu Suahasil Nazara some time ago. He said the funds were placed in ministry/institutional spending for the 2023 period.

"One of the spending priorities is preparation for the election, amounting to Rp. 19.5 trillion," said Suahasil through a virtual channel on Thursday, April 28.

For information, President Jokowi had given a statement that the estimated funds for the 2024 regional elections and elections reached Rp110.4 trillion.

That number jumped significantly from the 2019 election, with details of Rp. 25.59 trillion at the General Elections Commission (KPU). Meanwhile, the supervision budget is set at Rp4.85 trillion and the security budget is allocated at Rp3.29 trillion.

The government has repaid the 2019 election funds in installments long ago, to be precise in 2017 it was around Rp.465.71 billion. Then in 2018 it was Rp. 9.33 trillion and in 2019 it was Rp. 15.79 trillion.