Cabinet Secretary Attends Working Meeting with DPR
Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung on Monday (22/6) attended a working meeting with Commission 2 of the House of Representatives (DPR) overseeing home affairs.
The Cabinet Secretary during the meeting reported to the House about the budget absorption of Cabinet Secretariat in the 2019 fiscal year and budget allocation of Cabinet Secretariat for the 2020 fiscal year.
“The budget for Cabinet Secretariat in the 2019 fiscal year, including the budget for the BPIP (Agency for Implementation of the State Ideology Pancasila) was Rp443,454,369,000. The budget absorption was Rp 387,471,129,222 so that the absorption rate is approximately 87.38%,” Pramono said.
Pramono also reported the budget absorption in 2020 fiscal year, the indicative ceiling for 2021 fiscal year, and the proposal to increase in the budget of Cabinet Secretariat for the 2021 fiscal year due to several changes stipulated in Presidential Regulation on Cabinet Secretariat.
For the 2020 fiscal year, Pramono said, the budget for Cabinet Secretariat amounts to Rp296,559,039,000 before being cut to Rp250,941,188,000 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He went on to say that the existing budget absorption rate for the 2020 fiscal year is approximately 40% (for management support and implementation of other tasks of Cabinet Secretariat) and 33.24% (for supporting the President and the Vice President in cabinet management) with the total absorption rate of of 39.52%.
The Cabinet Secretary went on to say that based on the letter from Minister of National Development Planning and Minister of Finance, Cabinet Secretariat indicative ceiling for 2021 is Rp300,143,142,000.
He also said that based on Presidential Regulation Number 55 of 2020, Cabinet Secretariat will have a new work unit, namely the center overseeing the development of government translators and interpreters in Indonesia.
The Presidential Regulation also stipulates that Cabinet secretariat is granted authority to review strategic Ministerial Regulations.
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, Pramono added, has issued directives on modernization of technology in organizing cabinet meetings, including limited cabinet meeting, plenary cabinet meeting and final assessment team (TPA) meeting.
To that end, the Cabinet Secretary, he added, has sent a letter to Minister of Finance asking for an additional budget allocation of Rp.88,500,000,000.
“We have asked for support from Chairperson, Deputy Chairpersons and all members of Commission 2 so that the additional budget proposal can be approved and be discussed with Minister of Finance and Budget Committee of the House,” Pramono said.
In the meantime, Commission 2 of the House of Representatives has asked that the budget allocation for programs and activities take into account their suggestion and advice, adding that the more specific matters will be discussed in the next meeting for the 2021 Budget Bill.
The Commission 2 has also approved the proposal for an additional budget of Rp.88,500,000,000 to be added to Cabinet Secretariat budget ceiling in 2021 fiscal year and asked members of Budget Committee from Commission 2 to discuss the matter in the House Budget Committee.
For the record, the meeting between Cabinet Secretary and Commission 2 of the House was held in relation to the preliminary discussion and discussion on the 2021 Budget Bill, the 2021 Government Plan (RKP), and the Performance Evaluation for 2019 to June 2020 term. (FID/EN)
Translated by: Ridwan Ibadurrohman
Reviewed by: Muhammad Ersan Pamungkas