Jokowi's Vision, Mission Should Be Part Of State Budget

Jakarta, Aug 22 (Antara) - The vision and mission of President- and Vice President-elect Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and Jusuf Kalla should be incorporated in the Draft 2015 State Budget, so that they can be implemented, economist Sri Adiningsih stated. "The Draft 2015 State Budget needs to be adjusted to the vision and mission of the President-elect. The current government and the House of Representatives (DPR) must give him an opportunity to carry out his adjustment," noted Sri Adiningsih of the Gajah Mada University. According to Adiningsih, the current draft state budget is not sound as it includes heavy subsidy burdens plus annual budget spending such as that for civil servant salaries and for paying state external debts. This necessitates some adjustment such as the replacement of subsidies with various programs that have been announced by the Jokowi-Jusuf Kalla pair. The programs included the launch of "Indonesia Healthy", building irrigation for three million hectares of rice fields, the construction of five thousand hectares of traditional markets, and the renovation of sugar mills. "The subsidies in the Draft 2015 State Budget should be replaced, so that the Jokowi-JK presidential ticket will have space to carry out its programs and build infrastructures," the economist argued. Besides this, adjustment on revenues in the draft state budget should also be made. Revenues from both tax and non-tax incomes should be increased. She further pointed to the need for establishing a state revenue agency, so that tax officials will focus on collecting taxes. The other necessary adjustment is to budget the use of renewable energy, for instance, increasing the use of gas. Currently, the use of gas is still relatively low as compared to the use of fuel oils. "The budget for luxury activities in the draft should also be reduced or changed such as the venue of meetings at hotels to be moved to meetings in the offices. The days of official trips should well be reduced. So, the budget can be used for things that are given priorities," she remarked. Adiningsih stated that the adjustment can be implemented by having discussions between the present government of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono-Boediono and Jokowi-Jusuf Kalla as soon as possible. After all, the Constitutional Court has decided the winner of the July 9, 2014, presidential election following a ruling on the legal dispute regarding the election results. "The programs of the Jokowi-JK duo should be included in the Draft 2015 State Budget, not in the Revised 2015 State Budget, so that it can realize what it has planned," Adiningsih emphasized. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono announced, on Friday, a budget plan for 2015 amounting to Rp2,019.9 trillion to be submitted to the DPR for further discussion and endorsement. In the Draft 2015 State Budget, the government has set aside Rp433.5 trillion for subsidy expenditures. According to Finance Minister Chatib Basri, the state spending in the Draft 2015 State Budget increases by Rp143.1 trillion to Rp2,019.9 trillion due to the rising energy subsidy. "Fuel subsidy increases due to a carryover of Rp44.6 trillion. Although electricity subsidy falls, fuel subsidy increases," he stated at a press conference on the fiscal policy and posture of the Draft 2015 State Budget last Friday.