VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto. (ANTARA/HO-Kementerian Perekonomian/pri)

The Indonesian government has adjusted the budget for the health sector to Rp72.73 trillion as part of the economic recovery program in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, said.

“We have monitored the realization of the budget for the economic recovery and of course, we hope it can be used optimally for economic recovery through the adjustment to the additional budget from Rp87.5 trillion to Rp72.73 trillion,” he said following a meeting of the Committee for COVID-19 Handling and National Economic Recovery in Jakarta on Wednesday.

The government has also made adjustments to its budget for social protection programs. It is mulling a plan to initiate new programs by taking advantage of the adjusted budget funds, the minister said.

"There have been shifts. We will continue to monitor them and propose new programs," he remarked.

He said the meeting also discussed the revision of the presidential regulation on the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines. "So (the revision of) the presidential regulation on the procurement of vaccines has been decided and we will soon submit it to Mr. President," he informed.

Earlier, the finance minister's expert staff for state spending, Kunta Wibawa Dasa Nugraha, had said the realization of budget funds in the health sector within the framework of economic recovery in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic had reached 5.12 percent of the total budget amounting to Rp87.55 trillion, as of June 24, 2020.

The increase in the realization of the budget was the result of efforts made by the Finance Ministry and the Health Ministry to expedite the realization, he stated. (ANTARA)