We would appreciate your comments
Insight In News
Indonesian Highlights and Insights in News
Indonesian Highlights and Insights in News
Govt_Politic
Doc: Diplomat.com
Defense Minister Confidence President To Approve Additional Budget Allocation Of IDR 10 Trillion For National Defense
Tuesday, 26 Nov 2024
Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin expressed optimism that President Prabowo will approve the proposed budget increase for the Ministry of Defense in 2025. He stated that part of this additional budget would be allocated to enhance the welfare of the soldiers of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI).
"I am confident that the president, as a former defense minister, will support an increase in the defense budget," Sjafrie remarked at the parliamentary complex in Senayan, Central Jakarta, on Monday, November 25, 2024.
Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin emphasized that the defense budget should not solely focus on the development of combat equipment and the procurement of primary weaponry systems. One of his priorities is to improve the welfare of the soldiers.
"We can observe the conditions of the barracks for the Kostrad units, which are still in much worse shape than the homes of street vendors," he noted.
He pointed out that such conditions are still evident in Jakarta, and similar or even worse situations are faced by soldiers in other regions.
According to Sjafrie, the proposal for the additional budget has already been presented directly to President Prabowo. Consequently, he added, the budget allocation for the Ministry of Defense, which has been approved in the State Budget for the 2025 fiscal year, will undergo a re-audit.
Sjafrie stated that he will reassess which budget allocations are still insufficient. He mentioned that he plans to propose an additional budget of IDR 10 trillion. "This is just a preliminary figure as we are still compiling the budget implementation list," he remarked.
During a working meeting between the Ministry of Defense and Commission I for the 2019-2024 period in September 2024, the Ministry proposed that the budget for 2025 be set at IDR 166 trillion. This amount represents an increase from the previous year's budget of IDR 155.98 trillion.
Commission I member Rizki Natakusumah indicated that the House of Representatives, through the Budget Agency, will review the proposal for the additional budget. He expressed that Commission I supports the need for this budget increase.
Rizki concurred that the additional budget for the Ministry of Defense should be utilized to enhance the welfare of military personnel. Furthermore, he emphasized that the additional funds should also be directed towards advancing defense technology.
"A strategic plan is necessary so that the use of this additional budget can be clearly defined. For instance, it should be allocated for the welfare of soldiers as well as for strengthening defense capabilities," he stated. (reza@insightinnews.com)
