ID :
64977
Tue, 06/09/2009 - 19:00
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/64977
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DEFENSE BUDGET NEEDS BE INCREASED : PRESIDENTIAL ASSISTANT
Jakarta, June 9 (ANTARA) - The government needs to increase its defense budget following the tragic accidents that have befallen a number of military airplanes recently and the latest developments in Ambalat, a special presidential assistant said.
Presidential special assistant for defense affairs Irvan Edison said the defense budget for the military (TNI) will be made based on existing need and on priority scale determined by prevailing security conditions.
"The posture of the country's defense will be adjusted to the security condition Indonesia is facing. If there is no security threat, the budget will be increased for the maintenance of equipment and regional monitoring," Edison said here on Tuesday.
"But with the case of several incidents befalling on the military where a number of its planes has crashed, and in the face of the Ambalat tensions, the government needs to increase its defense budget. But still, it has to be adjusted to the general budget needs," he said.
Last month, the ministry of defense said it would likely receive an additional budget of between Rp5 trillion and Rp6 trillion in 2010.
Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono said after a limited cabinet meeting at the presidential office that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had agreed at the meeting that the ministry's budget had to be increased in 2010.
"Although we were also of the view that the ideal budget of around Rp120 trillion a year would never be met because of the current crisis and budget shortage," he said.
He said the government had also agreed that in the next two years there must be a rise in the ministry's budget which would be aimed at promoting operational readiness and maintenance of equipment "to ensure the safety of all weapons systems in all forces."
The additional budget of between Rp5 trillion and Rp6 trillion was also aimed at promoting operational readiness and maintenance of equipment.
"From the present budget of Rp33.6 trillion we will secure up to around Rp800 billion a year for maintenance or ideally next year above Rp1.2 trillion for operational readiness and maintenance," he said.***4***
Presidential special assistant for defense affairs Irvan Edison said the defense budget for the military (TNI) will be made based on existing need and on priority scale determined by prevailing security conditions.
"The posture of the country's defense will be adjusted to the security condition Indonesia is facing. If there is no security threat, the budget will be increased for the maintenance of equipment and regional monitoring," Edison said here on Tuesday.
"But with the case of several incidents befalling on the military where a number of its planes has crashed, and in the face of the Ambalat tensions, the government needs to increase its defense budget. But still, it has to be adjusted to the general budget needs," he said.
Last month, the ministry of defense said it would likely receive an additional budget of between Rp5 trillion and Rp6 trillion in 2010.
Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono said after a limited cabinet meeting at the presidential office that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had agreed at the meeting that the ministry's budget had to be increased in 2010.
"Although we were also of the view that the ideal budget of around Rp120 trillion a year would never be met because of the current crisis and budget shortage," he said.
He said the government had also agreed that in the next two years there must be a rise in the ministry's budget which would be aimed at promoting operational readiness and maintenance of equipment "to ensure the safety of all weapons systems in all forces."
The additional budget of between Rp5 trillion and Rp6 trillion was also aimed at promoting operational readiness and maintenance of equipment.
"From the present budget of Rp33.6 trillion we will secure up to around Rp800 billion a year for maintenance or ideally next year above Rp1.2 trillion for operational readiness and maintenance," he said.***4***
