Minister Of Home Affairs Tito Asks Regional Heads To Quickly Use Local Government Finance For COVID-19, Waiting For The Center To Be Slow

JAKARTA - Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian appealed to all regional heads to utilize the existing financial capacity of local governments (Pemda) to handle COVID-19 without waiting for the central government.

"I think waiting for anything from the center will be slow because the center thinks about all regions. Regions also have financial capacity that can be utilized," said the Minister of Home Affairs in a statement received in Jakarta, Antara, Friday, July 23.

The burden of the COVID-19 pandemic experienced by all regions in Indonesia can be shared between the central and regional governments. The West Java Regional Government, for example, can use the regional budget to strengthen health capacity in handling the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The budget, both for strengthening health capacity and including medicine, can actually be used by regional budgets as well. So we share the burden, share the burden," he explained.

Meanwhile, West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil said his party had conducted an evaluation regarding the absorption of the budget for handling the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Yesterday we also received a 'love letter' from the Minister of Home Affairs, we have evaluated it, the Minister of Home Affairs," said Ridwan.

Ridwan said his party had prepared funds for health capacity in West Java. However, many hospitals are late in submitting requests for payment for health services.

"The majority is because the hospitals did not apply; (hospitals) were late, sir. I have warned them too," he added.

The slow pace of hospitals and health facilities (faskes) submitting payment bills for the COVID-19 case has caused the absorption of the West Java Regional Government's health budget to have not reached the target.

"So our money is on standby but we can't disburse it if the hospital doesn't ask for it. So that the target from the Ministry of Home Affairs was above 50 percent, this has only been fulfilled, at approximately 34 percent," said Ridwan Kamil.

West Java was one of 19 governors who received a letter of reprimand from the Minister of Home Affairs because the local government was not fast in absorbing the budget related to handling COVID-19.

In addition to West Java, the provinces that received a warning letter from the Ministry of Home Affairs were Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, West Sumatra, Riau Islands, South Sumatra, Bengkulu, Bangka Belitung, Yogyakarta, Bali, West Nusa Tenggara, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, South Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, North Sulawesi. , Gorontalo, Maluku, North Maluku and Papua.