he Finance Ministry has announced that it will allocate an additional Rp 1.02 trillion (US$ 71.79 million for personal protective equipment (PPE) and other health measures in simultaneous regional elections slated to take place in December.
"We have approved the request for an additional Rp 1.02 trillion from the Home Minister to support the regional elections," Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said on Thursday during a virtual meeting with House of Representatives Commission II, which oversees home affairs.
The funds are to be distributed to 270 regions scheduled to hold elections on Dec. 9.
Home Minister Tito Karnavian said there might be another request for additional funds as 66 out the 270 regions had not yet reported their financial conditions.
"The amount of funds [that we requested] does not yet include the data from 66 regions that is expected [to come in] by the end of the week. We are also still waiting for the revised General Elections Commission (KPU) regulation on health protocol," Tito said.
Tito elaborated that the Rp 1.02 trillion would be distributed to regional KPU branches (Rp 908.4 billion) and regional Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) branches (Rp 76.36 billion), while the remaining Rp 35.78 billion would be allocated to security.
Sri said the funds were part of an additional Rp 4.77 trillion requested by the KPU for the upcoming regional elections.
"Although 270 regions have committed to allocating part of their regional budgets to the elections, we realize that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the income of many regions. [...] Many regions have also reallocated and refocused their budgets to mitigate the impact of the pandemic," she said as quoted from the Finance Ministry website.
The minister said the ministry would approve the KPU request of Rp 4.77 trillion in the hope that the regional elections, the first stage of which would start on June 15, could be carried out according to plan. (nal)
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