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TOURISM and Creative Economy Minister, Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno said the ministry’s 2021 budget ceiling had been reallocated and refocused on four occasions, leaving some 58.7% of the total initial ceiling.
Minsiter Sandiaga Uno at a working meeting with Commission X of the House of Representatives here on Tuesday noted that the budget ceiling, which initially reached IDR4.907 trillion, was refocused to become IDR2.880 trillion.
“The reallocation was conducted in accordance with the budget allocation lists set on February 25, May 31, July 28, and August 16, 2021. The reallocated budget totaled IDR2.026 trillion, or around 41.3%,” the minister noted in a written statement.
Furthermore, Uno highlighted that the fourth budget reallocation was conducted in accordance with Finance Ministry’s Letter Number S-629/MK.02/2021 on Refocusing and Reallocation of Ministry/Institutional Expenditure Phase IV.
The step had resulted in restrictions on several programs, reduction in the value of contracts, and delays in various strategic activities.
“The programs that have been restricted were offline meetings outside the office, domestic and abroad offline roadshows, home and abroad official trips, as well as termination of honorarium for 20 Indonesian tourism marketing representatives in 14 countries,” the minister stated.
However, Sandiaga Uno noted that several of the ministry’s strategic activities will still be conducted by each working unit.
The activities comprise training and mentoring of human resources for leading creative economy actors; the Indonesian Tourism Village Award; sustainable tourism village certification, Cleanliness, Health, Safety, and Environmental Sustainability certification for tourism players; preparation of government assistance for tourism businesses; tourism village marketing; reactivation of the tourism industry by tourism stimulus provision for vaccine recipient tourism actors; as well as raising awareness of the application of health protocols in the national media.
“We are also creating storytelling content for special interest tours and events; providing support for national and international Meeting, Incentive, Convention, and Exhibition activities in Jakarta; giving assistance for National Sports Week XX and National Paralympic Week XVI in Papua; as well as conducting Synergy Action Programs,” Sandiaga remarked.
On the same occasion, Deputy Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Angela Tanoesoedibjo noted that the ministry had also made various attempts focused on adaptation, collaboration, and innovation to encourage recovery of the Indonesian tourism sector battered by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The programs encompass acceleration of vaccination programs in various regions, donation of medical devices, tourism reactivation by optimizing the PeduliLindungi apps and other apps, as well as supporting accommodation for health workers and self-isolation places.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chairman of the House’s Commission X Dede Yusuf — concurrently the meeting’s chairperson — encouraged the ministry to optimize the use of the remaining budget ceilings to implement its main priority programs and activities to demonstrate the role of the creative tourism sector as a crucial sector that supported the national economy.
He believed that the proof was intended to avoid significant cuts in the ministry’s 2022 budget year. He also expected that the ministry will improve its budget planning strategy in the coming years by increasing collaboration with related stakeholders. [antaranews/photo special]
