Gov’t Allocates Rp8.374 trillion of Special Autonomy Funds for Papua, West Papua Provinces
The Government has allocated Rp21.48 trillion of Special Autonomy Funds for Papua, West Papua and Aceh Provinces, as well as for Additional Infrastructure Fund in the Bill on the State Budget (RAPBN) for the 2020 Fiscal Year.
Based on Book I on the Bill on the State Budget for the 2020 Fiscal Year and Its Financial Note, the Special Autonomy Funds consist of:
- 374 trillion of Special Autonomy Funds for Papua and West Papua Provinces (Papua: Rp5.861 trillion, West Papua: Rp2.512 trillion);
- 374 trillion of Special Autonomy Fund for Aceh Province; and
- 680 trillion of Additional Infrastructure Fund for Papua and West Papua Provinces.
The Book also reads that the policies of Special Autonomy Funds and Additional Infrastructure are aimed at: (i) improving planning and effectiveness of budget spending; (ii) enhancing effectiveness in the implementation; (iii) improving accountability through disbursing the budget based on implementation performance; (iv) strengthening monitoring and evaluation by establishing synergy among related ministries/institutions; (v) maximizing the use of budget to be in line with national priorities by conducting discussion with related ministries/institutions; (vi) shifting the focus and priority of budget spending to education, health, and infrastructure sectors; (vii) improving Special Autonomy Funds and Additional Infrastructure Fund’s governance by strengthening the roles of Internal Government Apparatus Supervision (APIP) in monitoring and providing recommendations.
In addition to Special Autonomy Funds, the Government also allocated Rp1.320 trillion of Special Fund for Aceh Province, that is aimed at: (i) improving planning and effectiveness of budget spending; (ii) improving the quality of monitoring and evaluation; and (iii) boosting the acceleration of report production on the implementation of programs of the regional government.
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in his address on the Presentation of the Government Statement on the Bill on the State Budget for the 2020 Fiscal Year and Its Financial Note Before the Plenary Session of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia, in Jakarta, Friday (16/8) asserted that the 2020 state expenditure shall be focused on reducing interregional inequality.
Consequently, the Government is going to continue the development of economic zone outside Java, maintaining industrialization in the form of downstream mining and plantation products, as well as developing several metropolitan areas outside Java Island to be transformed into new sources of economy.
“To date, the heart of economic activities in general has been focused in Jakarta and Java. As a result, Java Island becomes very densely populated, thus creating inequality with other islands. Should we let this prevail without strenuous efforts, inequality will become more and more rampant,” the President firmly said. (ES)
Translated by : Rany Anjany Subachrum
Edited by : Mia Medyana Bonaedy
