Home Minister Tito Karnavian has reacted to public criticism of a video contest run by the ministry to promote the so-called new regular, stating the effort costing Rp 168 billion (US$118 million) sourced from the state budget was not a waste of cash.
” It’s not a waste of money. This wants all in the kind of existing regional incentive funds, but we ask the areas to compete in welcoming the new typical,” Tito said on Wednesday in a hearing with House of Representatives Commission II, which manages house affairs.
He discussed that he had actually sought advice from the Finance Ministry prior to running the contest, noting that the purpose was to push the local administrations to collaborate with their stakeholders in getting in the brand-new typical.
” To motivate them, we ran a competition in imitating the new regular protocol through a brief video. By making the video, they will inevitably team up with all stakeholders, such as markets, hotels, traveler destinations, dining establishments and transportation [service providers],” he stated.
The competitors was divided into seven classifications: standard markets, contemporary markets, hotels, restaurants, tourism areas, public transportation and one-stop integrated service (PTSP).
The House Ministry picked 84 winners consisting of the first, second and 3rd location for the 7 categories and four clusters. The winners get Rp 3 billion in cash prize, while those coming 2nd and third get Rp 2 billion and Rp 1 billion respectively.
The prize money would not go to the region head but to the regional budget (APBD) to support its programs in the form of the regional incentive funds (DID) along with for COVID-19 handling, Tito stated.
Financing Ministry Policy No. 19/2020 on local money transfers during the COVID-19 pandemic requireds that the DID should be prioritized for COVID-19 handling. The funds allocated to the DID total Rp 13.5 trillion.
” The cash prize can be utilized for programs in the local spending plan. The costs is at the regional leader’s discretion, but it should be included in the regional spending plan. It can likewise be used for COVID-19 handling, including to supply [economic] stimulus,” Tito stated.
Lawmakers and members of the general public have actually berated Tito’s initiative, stating such a competition was unnecessary.
Commission II deputy chairman Yaqut Cholil Qoumas stated the government seemed to have actually lost its creativity in making policies, noting that each region would have various procedures in executing the brand-new typical, which was not for a competition.
” There are many professionals. The federal government can look at the information in making policies. Don’t make it like idol competition shows,” the Nation Awakening Celebration (PKB) political leader stated.
Hidayatullah, a member of Home Commission XI supervising financing, deplored the effort, saying the government had to have a sense of crisis which the DID must be an award for regions that perform well in budget plan management, governance and civil services.
” Such rewards need to be dispersed proportionally by likewise focusing on the worst-affected areas[…] The professionals state we ought to fix the health emergency situation first and then the economy, and move to the new normal,” said the Prosperous Justice Celebration (PKS) political leader.
