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Some social aid came from President’s operational budget: Sri Mulyani
The President’s operational budget has been increasing in recent years.
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Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati (center) delivers a statement on April 5, 2024, as she attends a hearing at the Constitutional Court in Jakarta. Sri Mulyani was one of four
cabinet ministers that the court summonsed in connection with disputes related to the Feb. 14 election. (Antara/Galih Pradipta)
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inance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati has revealed that not all forms of social aid are funded through the dedicated allotment set by the Social Affairs Ministry, and instead come from the president’s own operational budget.
The use of a president’s operational budget to provide social aid is enabled under State Secretariat Regulation No. 2/2020, which Sri Mulyani explained both the president and vice president can use for a range of purposes such as educational, social or cultural projects.
“Social aid from the president is not a part of [social assistance spending],” said Sri Mulyani, speaking during the last hearing of the 2024 election dispute with the Constitutional Court on Friday.
“The aid can be given in the form of goods or money,” she added.
Sri Mulyani was responding to Saldi Isra, one of the judges, who inquired about the matter as it relates to the petition raised by Anies Baswedan and Ganjar Pranowo, the two losing presidential candidates in the February election.
The two candidates believed that some of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s work visits, which often brought social aid disbursement, had helped presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto win the election.
Prabowo ran alongside Jokowi’s eldest son Gibran Rakabuming Raka. The pair won the election by a landslide after securing almost 60 percent of the vote, according to a General Elections Commission (KPU) announcement in March.
