Jakarta – The 2022 State Revenue and Expenditure Budget prioritizes six policies, with the main focus remaining COVID-19 control, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has stated.
“We will focus on six main policies. First, to continue to control COVID-19 while still prioritizing the health sector,” he said at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, on Monday.
He delivered the statement during an event attended by cabinet members and other state officials.
“Second (focus), maintaining the sustainability of social protection programs for the poor and vulnerable,” President Jokowi informed.
Third, improving or developing human resources to make them superior, he said. Fourth, pushing for the development of infrastructure and encouraging adaptation to technology, he disclosed. Fifth, strengthening fiscal decentralization to increase and distribute welfare among the regions, he added.
“The sixth is to continue budgeting reform by implementing ‘zero-based budgeting’ so that spending is more efficient,” he remarked.
In 2022, ministers and regional heads must continue to prepare themselves to face the risk of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is still posing a threat to the global community, including Indonesia, President Jokowi said.
“Uncertainty in the health and economic fields must be our basis for planning and implementing programs,” he said.
The 2022 State Budget was designed and will be implemented in a responsive, anticipatory, and flexible manner, in response to the uncertainty of 2022, he explained.
“Always innovate and anticipate various changes that occur while maintaining good governance,” he remarked.
The President said that the 2022 state budget has a crucial role.
“As the G20 Presidency, we must demonstrate our ability to deal with climate change, especially reductions in emissions and the movement to develop the environment in a sustainable manner. We must show real action toward (realizing) a green and sustainable economy,” he added.
The 2022 State Budget has been stipulated in Law Number 6 of 2021, which came into force on October 27, 2021. The law regulates the 2022 state revenue and expenditure budget.
Law Number 6 of 2021 states that the 2022 state budget includes a planned state revenue of Rp1,846.1 trillion and state expenditure of Rp2,714.2 trillion.
The budget deficit reached IDR 868 trillion or 4.85 percent of gross domestic product, while the deficit was targeted at 4.85 percent of GDP.
The projected economic growth in 2022 is estimated at 5.2 percent, while the poverty rate is expected to decline to 8.5–9 percent.
Furthermore, the open unemployment rate is expected to range between 5.5–6.3 percent, and the inequality ratio to fall to 0.376– 0.378. Meanwhile, the human development index is targeted to increase to 73.41–73.46.
Anang Fadhilah/ant
