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House asks govt to allow for Rp 598t spending increase
The Finance Ministry has responded by saying that it would review the request, including whether accommodating the extra spending was feasible without widening the projected deficit range of 2.29-2.82 percent of GDP.
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Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati speaks about fiscal policy on May 20, 2024 at a House of Representatives plenary session in Jakarta. (Antara/Galih Pradipta)
T
he House of Representatives Budget Committee has asked the Finance Ministry to accommodate a proposal to increase spending by an additional Rp 598.9 trillion (US$36.6 billion) in the 2025 draft budget.
The figure is an aggregate of the separate amounts ministries and agencies proposed at their meetings with the relevant House commissions oversee the past few months.
House Budget Committee head Said Abdullah told a meeting with the Finance Ministry on Thursday that the extra spending should be accommodated “without adding deficit”, CNBC Indonesia reported.
Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati responded that she would review the request to incorporate the additional spending into next year’s fiscal space, including whether this was doable without stretching the deficit beyond the agreed range of 2.29-2.82 percent of GDP.
“We will work hard together with every stakeholder so the 2025 budget can answer various development challenges but is still healthy and sustainable,” she said.
When approached by reporters after the meeting, the ministry’s Budget Director General Isa Rachmatarwata decline to elaborate on the proposal to increase spending next year, only confirming that government institutions had asked for the extra budget.
“All accounted for, there’s Rp 598.9 trillion,” Isa told reporters after Thursday’s meeting, as quoted by Kontan.co.id.
