KPU's Budget Cut by 27.53 Percent, Election Programs Targeted

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The government has cut the General Election Commission's () budget by 27.53 percent, primarily targeting election program costs. KPU Chairperson Mochammad Afifuddin stated that the budget reduction amounts to Rp843 billion.

The original budget allocation for KPU was Rp3.062 trillion. After the reduction, the remaining budget is Rp2.2 trillion. "This equals 27.53 percent," said Afif in a working meeting with House of Representatives (DPR) Commission II and other working partners at the DPR/People's Consultative Assembly (MPR)/Regional Representatives Council (DPD) Building, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday, February 12, 2025.

Areas affected by the budget cut include programs related to election management and implementation. However, employee operational expenditures were not reduced. The allocation for management support programs at KPU, initially Rp2.7 trillion, was cut by Rp588 billion, to Rp2.1 trillion.

Meanwhile, the budget for election program implementation, originally Rp290 billion, was reduced by Rp254 billion, to Rp35.8 billion.

Office operational expenditures, initially Rp1.042 trillion, were reduced by Rp456 billion to Rp586 billion. Non-operational expenses, initially Rp472 billion, suffered a reduction of Rp386 billion to Rp85 billion.

The budget reduction policy stems from Presidential Instruction (Inpres) Number 1 of 2025 concerning Budget Efficiency and the Implementation of the State Budget (APBN) and Regional Budget (APBD) for the 2025 Fiscal Year. The instruction was issued by President Prabowo Subianto on January 22, 2025.

As a follow-up to this instruction, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani issued Minister of Finance Letter Number S-37/MK.02/2025 dated January 24, 2025, regarding the Expenditure Efficiency of Ministries/Agencies (K/L) in the Implementation of the 2025 State Budget. The letter was sent to each Ministry/Agency, requesting budget cuts.

On Wednesday, February 12, 2025, Commission II held a meeting with its working partners after the government completed the budget reconstruction. DPR Commission II Chairperson Rifqinizamy Karsayuda immediately called for ministries and agencies upon receiving the order from the DPR leadership.

Letter number B/2157/PW.11.01/2/2025 states that the government has completed the reconstruction of the 2025 K/L budget. DPR Deputy Chairperson Sufmi Dasco Ahmad signed the letter, with copies sent to DPR leadership, DPR Secretary General, and for archival purposes.

"In this regard, Commission I to Commission XIII of the DPR is requested to hold a meeting again with its working partners to discuss the latest reconstruction agenda on February 12-13, 2025," the letter, dated February 11, 2025, stated.

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