Deputy Minister of Finance: The Government Has Disbursed a National Economic Recovery Budget of IDR 1,645.45 Trillion for 2020-2022

Deputy Minister of Finance Suahasil Nazara. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The government has disbursed a National Economic Recovery budget (PEN) of IDR 1,645.45 trillion for 2020-2022, said Deputy Minister of Finance, Suahasil Nazara, at the National Coordination Meeting for Handling COVID-19 and National Economic Recovery in Jakarta, Thursday 26 January.

"This budget is a form of our joint work and our joint work", he said, as quoted by Antara.

The COVID-19 Response and PEN Programs are designed to be flexible and accountable so that they are more responsive and anticipatory for handling COVID-19 and accelerating economic recovery.

He detailed that in 2020, the PEN budget disbursed was IDR 578.85 trillion (audited) which included a health budget worth IDR 62.67 trillion, social protection IDR 216.59 trillion, priority programs IDR 65.22 trillion, MSME and corporate support IDR 172. 99 trillion, as well as business incentives worth IDR 58.38 trillion.

Then in 2021, the budget disbursed is IDR 655.1 trillion (audited) consisting of a health budget of IDR 198.1 trillion, social protection of IDR 167.7 trillion, priority ministry/agency programs of IDR 105.6 trillion, MSME and corporate support. of IDR 116.2 trillion, as well as business incentives of IDR 67.67 trillion.

In 2022, the budget disbursed through the PEN program is IDR 414.5 trillion (temporarily) which includes a health budget of IDR 70.8 trillion, community protection of IDR 153.5 trillion, and a strengthening of the economic recovery of IDR 190.2 trillion.

The various disbursement of PEN funds, said Suahasil, was the basis for the Indonesian economy to grow well.

"When we are in a ravine, PEN can prevent it from going down too deep, and then we will increase its growth again", he said.

According to him, the open unemployment rate which was quite high in 2020 was successfully reduced thanks to the PEN program, as well as the number of poor people which had increased in 2020.

Thus, this program can reduce the poverty rate in Indonesia due to COVID-19 and the Gini ratio which measures inequality, so this is a success for Indonesia.