Stunting Is The Great Enemy Of The State, Budget Of IDR 44 Trillion Is Prepared By The Government To Eradicate

Illustration (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The government through the Ministry of Finance (Kemenkeu) is said to have prepared a budget of IDR 44.8 trillion to support stunting reduction in Indonesia.

Deputy Minister of Finance (Wamenkeu) Suahasil Nazara said the allocation consisted of spending spread across 17 ministries and institutions amounting to IDR 34.1 trillion and local governments through the Physical Special Allocation Fund (DAK) of IDR 8.9 trillion and Non-physical DAK of IDR 1.8 trillion. .

"As much as IDR 44.8 trillion of funds we disburse for stunting prevention. We hope that this large budget will provide extraordinary benefits," he said in a press statement quoted on Wednesday, June 15.

According to Suahasil, funds channeled through ministries/agencies are directed at reducing stunting in order to create a better working, household and health environment. Regarding stunting prevention in the regions, the Minister of Finance has issued guidelines for the use of transfers to regions in 2019 to support integrated stunting prevention interventions.

"We hope that this guideline will provide guidance and can be used later to promote integrated stunting reduction at the regional level," he said.

Suahasil emphasized that stunting is a condition of failure to grow which has implications for the next generation, implications for life, productivity, to economic life, productivity, and economic progress in Indonesia.

"We will reduce the prevalence of stunting to 14 percent in 2024. Currently, we are still quite high at around 24 percent. There is progress, but we must make this progress faster," he said.

Furthermore, Suahasil explained that stunting reduction is a national priority program so it is necessary to provide a special budget through DAK which is given in various allocations, namely through stunting health operational assistance, family planning operational assistance, as well as food and agricultural security funds.

Specifically for regional incentive funds, Suahasil said the central government also included the stunting variable in the formula for calculating regional incentive funds.

"Let's work together in synergy and collaborate to reduce the prevalence of stunting in Indonesia as our effort to push Indonesia forward," concluded the Deputy Minister of Finance, Suahasil.