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Agriculture minister asks for leniency on budget cut
Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman seeks to avert a massive reduction in his ministry’s funding, arguing that the measure would jeopardize the government’s efforts to achieve self-sufficiency in food production.
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President Prabowo Subianto (center) chairs a meeting on Feb. 3, 2025, on food security as he sits between Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin (left) and Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman (second right). (The Jakarta Post/Agriculture Ministry)
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griculture Minister Amran Sulaiman is looking to avert a budget cut for his ministry and says he has asked President Prabowo Subianto and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati to reconsider the austerity measure.
The Agriculture Ministry is set to have its budget slashed by Rp 10.28 trillion (US$625.4 million) to Rp 19.09 trillion as part of a broad government effort to reduce spending across ministries and other state institutions.
During a meeting on Tuesday with House of Representatives Commission IV overseeing agriculture, forestry, fisheries and food production, Amran said he had sent a letter to Prabowo and had lobbied Sri Mulyani, asking to cancel the budget cut.
The finance minister had responded positively to his request, he claimed, adding that he expected to receive a final decision in a letter this week.
“We have also called directly [on the finance minister]; there were six members of House Commission IV who heard that she had approved [the request]. Hopefully [the letter] will be issued in the next day or two,” he said.
The Finance Ministry was not immediately available for comment.
Amran said the budget cut would hamper the government’s goal of achieving self-sufficiency in the production of staple foods.
