VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Jan. 28 - Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati has said that disciplined implementation of health protocols and vaccination will help control the COVID-19 pandemic, hence they will be key to economic recovery efforts in 2021.

"As the people's mobility and activities resume, consumption, investment, and exports will be able to revive," Indrawati said while speaking at the University of Indonesia's Board of Trustees webinar here on Wednesday.

The State Budget instrument will play the most important part, including in supporting and protecting the public and businesses so that they can survive and recover, she observed.

In 2021, the government will focus on pursuing economic recovery and handling COVID-19 transmission, she informed.

The Ministry of Finance has worked very hard to achieve the state revenue target, which is projected to reach Rp1,743.6 trillion, she said.

However, state spending is projected to reach higher, notably to Rp2,750 trillion, hence, the government has predicted a deficit of 5.07 percent in 2021, Indrawati noted.

State spending will be managed for national priority programs, namely for handling the COVID-19 pandemic, including the vaccination program, which is estimated to cost Rp73 trillion, she informed.

“Besides enforcing health protocol discipline and handling, other health sectors need to be addressed not only by the central government, but also local governments and the private community," she said.

The 2021 State Budget is also directed at strategic policies, including improving the quality of human resources with an education budget allocation of up to Rp 550 trillion, she pointed out.

The budget allocation for infrastructure development has been set at Rp417.4 trillion, health Rp169.7 trillion, food security Rp99 trillion, tourism Rp14.2 trillion, social allowances Rp408 trillion, and information and communication technology Rp26 trillion.

"These are strategic programs in 2021 which are expected to support the economic recovery efforts in 2021. And all programs for COVID handling and national economic recovery can work if all stakeholders participate in implementing health protocol discipline," Indrawati said. (Antaranews)