Receiving KPRBN Executive Secretary, Vice President Hopes for Breakthrough in Using Poverty Budget to be More Effective

Receiving KPRBN Executive Secretary, Vice President Hopes for Breakthrough in Using Poverty Budget to be More Effectiv

Jakarta, wapresri.go.id – Vice President (VP) K.H. Ma’ruf Amin as Chairman of the Steering Committee for National Bureaucratic Reform (KPRBN) received the Executive Secretary of KPRBN and the staff at the Vice President’s Official Residence, Jalan Diponegoro Number 2, Central Jakarta, Tuesday (13/09/2022).

On this occasion, as explained by the Spokesperson for the VP, Masduki Baidlowi, the Vice President asked KPRBN to find a breakthrough in using the poverty reduction budget to be more effective. This was because the poverty alleviation budget had so far been scattered across various ministries/institutions but it was used individually.

“The VP gave directions, try to give recommendation so that this individual budgeting [system] can be allocated so that we can work collaboratively,” said Masduki after accompanying the VP in this meeting.

According to the VP, Masduki continued, if this collaborative work could be done, it would be easier to carry out efforts to alleviate poverty.

“Because the budgets can be more efficient because they are planned together. This is what was said earlier,” he explained.

Another important thing added Masduki, the VP had serious concerns related to ministries/agencies’ planning and budget which were spending-oriented only.

“So if you make plans in the ministries/agencies, the important thing is that they can be completely disbursed. Not on what benefits will be generated by a plan,” he said.

Therefore, said Masduki, the VP also asked KPRBN to find a solution to this problem. It is how to plan and use the budget at the ministry/institution to achieve the target benefits (outcomes) generated.

“It should be better if a plan reaches the outcome level, the benefit level. What is this fund for, where did it [spend] and then what were the benefits for the community?” Masduki explained.

“So far, it has not reached the outcome which is the main target of every state’s financial planning. But more on how important this state money can be spent. That’s why one of the topics we talked about today was sectoral ego issues from ministries and institutions,” he added.

According to Masduki, the VP also emphasized that this planning and budgeting problem is not only related to poverty alleviation that needs to be improved, but also in other fields.

“All of this will be carried out with breakthrough steps so that financial planning and how to spend it can be collaborative to overcome poverty easier. It’s not just about poverty but also other things, bureaucratic problems that are still hampering it also need to be reformed,” he said.

Previously, continued Masduki, KPRBN Executive Secretary Eko Prasojo reported to the VP that KPRBN was currently developing a model for strengthening synergy between ministries/agencies to tackle poverty.

“As we all know, the problem of poverty is handled by various ministries and institutions and so far it turns out that the way to handle it is too sectoral. So the sectoral ego from the implementation of poverty reduction is an obstacle,” he explained.

In this context, said Masduki, KPRBN recommended several ways so that planning and budgeting for poverty reduction could be integrated.

“So there has been a coordination meeting [between KPRBN] and the deputy at the Vice President’s Secretariat in charge of the matter, and Insya Allah, a follow-up meeting will soon be held by inviting the relevant ministries/institutions,” mentioned Masduki.

As for other things, Eko Prasojo also reported that each ministry/institution has a sectoral planning and budgeting system.

“So because they have regulatory reasons that can carry out their own planning and budgeting, they have been doing it themselves,” he said.
Masduki added that for this reason, the VP asked KPRBN to immediately find effective solutions to all these problems.

“I think that’s what was reported and the VP’s direction is to seek immediate solutions so that the problems of bureaucratic reform can be implemented efficiently,” he concluded.

Present to accompany the KPRBN Executive Secretary in this meeting were Expert Staff of the KPRBN Executive Secretary Zuliansyah Putra Zulkarnain, Gatot Prio Utomo, Indri Dwi Aprilianti, and Fadillah Putra.

Meanwhile, the VP was accompanied by the Head of the Vice President’s Secretariat Ahmad Erani Yustika, Deputy for Government Policy Support and National Outlook Velix Wanggai, Special Staff for the VP Masduki Baidlowi, Mohamad Nasir, and acting Deputy for Administration Sapto Harjono Wahjoe Sedjati. (NN/DMA/LHS – BPMI, Setwapres)