Defense Ministry to cut spending on staff

The Defense Ministry plans to limit recruitment of new personnel next year in order to reallocate some of the 2011 state budget to defense equipment and capital.

Director general for defense planning at the ministry, Air Vice Marshal Bongas Silaen, said they are aiming for “the right size and zero personnel growth”, by limiting the addition of new personnel.

“Defense-related educational institutions will supply the right amount of new recruits by anticipating the number of planned retirements,” he said Wednesday.

Bongas said 47.5 percent, or Rp 22.5 trillion (US$2.5 billion), of the 2011 state budget for the defense ministry and army, totaling Rp 47.4 trillion, would go to employee expenses.

That percentage is lower than 2010, when spending on employees consumed 50.1 percent of the state budget of Rp 42.3 trillion, he said.

“Our spending depends on our priorities. We need to maximize our budget,” Bongas said, adding that the ministry plans to modernize some defense equipment, such as cannons.

The ministry allocates 30.9 percent, or Rp 14.7 trillion, of the state budget to capital and 21.4 percent, or Rp 10.1 trillion, to goods. (gzl)