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Penny pinching civil servants bemoan ‘absurd’ budget cuts
President Prabowo Subianto issued on Jan. 23 a presidential instruction that mandates all ministries and state agencies to identify spending items that could be cut to save an estimated Rp 306 trillion (US$18.7 billion).
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Dank and dim: The lobby of the Office of Coordinating Economic Minister building sees minimal lighting on the evening of Feb. 5, 2024. The building, located in Jakarta, now turns off central air conditioning each day at 6 p.m. and reduces lighting at 8 p.m. due to budget cuts. (JP/Deni Ghifari)
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ndonesian civil servants have raised concerns over budget cuts initiated by President Prabowo Subianto which have taken a toll on day-to-day activities, such as basic administrative jobs and potentially tying a noose on crucial trade negotiations.
Mulyani, a 27-year-old civil servant who refused to use her real name due to risk of retaliation, told The Jakarta Post on Thursday that the budget cuts had impacted her ability to send reply letters to reports filed by the public against the government. She called the cuts “very absurd” as posting letters was a basic duty in her line of work.
Verifying reports on the field, which involves official trips, was also a primary part of her job, which has become impossible as a result of budget limitations, she said.
Mulyani said the number of cases she is able to verify and follow up with on the ground has now plunged to just 5 cases “at best”, from dozens under the usual budget arrangement.
Read also: Budget cuts to affect infrastructure projects, says deputy minister
President Prabowo Subianto issued on Jan. 23 a presidential instruction that mandates all ministries and state agencies to identify spending items that could be cut to save up an estimated Rp 306 trillion (US$18.7 billion) so that the administration could fund costly priority programs, including the flagship free meals program.
The instruction excluded cuts in some spending involving payroll, foreign grants and social aid, among others.
