President Jokowi Asks to Control Inflation, Reduce Poverty and Fix Gap in 2016

Pramono Anung delivering press statement

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo asserted that 2016 State Budged must be implemented in January, particularly the goods and capital expenditures; thus, it could optimize the impacts to the economic growth.

“The President wants us to work with focus to improve the economic growth, control the inflation, reduce poverty rate, fix the gap and others. It becomes a benchmark to compile policies or policy packages on deregulation,” Coordinating Minister for the Economy Darmin Nasution said to the reporters after a Plenary Cabinet Meeting at the Presidential Office, Jakarta, on Wednesday (23/12).

Regarding the budget, according to Darmin, the President also asked every ministers in the ministries to learn and observe the budget from ministeries or institutions  and it must not contain ambiguous budget items.

“When it comes to a program, it allows to use the terms “to increase” or “to empower”, but it does not allowed in a project. Because the terms “to increase” or “to empower” are ambiguous. In a project, they must mention a concrete action, for example “to construct classroom” or to build something into concrete thing,” Darmin said.

The Coordinating Minister added that President Jokowi also asked the implementation of several programs like Healthy Indonesia Card and Smart Indonesia Card. The President also checked the details, including checking the implementation of village budget expenditure.

Particularly on village budget, according to Darmin, President Jokowi reminded all that it needs an openness in every villages. The Central Government and regent also need to give explanation to the people about the amount of its village bugget.

Thus, the people, directed by village apparatus, also monitors how the budget is being used and the reasons.

Regarding the deregulation, Darmin added, the President reminded that there are around 42,000 permits that need to be finished and simplified.

“The President asked us to start working on the regional regulations or permits next year, it is including permits for location, the Law, Building Permit (IMB), and others. Why, because ease of doing business is an indicator whether a country is attracted and easy or not to perform a business,” Darmin said while admitting that index of Indonesia is still not good and ranks below Malaysia, Thailand, even Vietnam.

“The President reminded us to improve and make a concrete regulation in compliling several deregulation policy packages. We can not only calculate abstractly but we have to compare it to other countries, will our rank improve or not,” Coordinating Minister for the Economy said. (FID/UN/JAY/IJO/ES) (RAS/EP/YM/Naster)