{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1608189,
        "msgid": "middle-east-conflict-said-abdullah-urges-refinement-of-priority-programmes-1773312855",
        "date": "2026-03-12 16:39:58",
        "title": "Middle East Conflict: Said Abdullah Urges Refinement of Priority Programmes",
        "author": "",
        "source": "CNN_ID",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Politics",
        "summary": "House of Representatives Budget Commission Chairman Said Abdullah has called on the government to sharpen its priority programmes in response to the current Middle East conflict, recommending the postponement of non-urgent projects such as toll roads and the refinement of subsidy targeting. He particularly emphasised the need to tighten implementation of flagship national priority programmes, including free nutritious meals in schools, which he classified as mandatory education spending that cannot be negotiated.",
        "content": "<p>House of Representatives Budget Commission Chairman Said Abdullah has\nstated that the government can take several anticipatory measures amid\nthe current Middle East conflict. One of these involves sharpening\npriority programmes between urgent and non-urgent initiatives.<\/p>\n<p>Said gave an example of programmes not considered particularly urgent\nthat require review. According to him, such programmes could be\npostponed temporarily.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor instance, things that aren\u2019t so urgent\u2014like toll road projects\nand so forth\u2014perhaps the government should hold off on them for now. In\nfact, these toll roads are multi-year projects, so the government could\nstrengthen its reserve funds. As a precaution,\u201d Said said at the House\nof Representatives Complex in Senayan, Jakarta, on Thursday (12\nMarch).<\/p>\n<p>Said hopes the government will also refine subsidies, which he noted\nremain poorly targeted. He said subsidies for upper-income groups and\nindustry could represent wasteful spending in the state budget.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cProgrammes that aren\u2019t so urgent can be postponed. Then there\u2019s the\nrefinement of LPG\u20148.6 million tonnes per year keeps rising. Yet we all\nknow that according to law it should be closed, but it\u2019s sold openly,\u201d\nhe said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s no system in place, only based on DTSEN [Unified Data on\nSocio-Economic Status]. They should just use fingerprint verification,\none click. Or something more advanced like retinal scanning. I\u2019m\nconfident that would bring it down to around 5.5 million tonnes at\nmost,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>Responding to national priority programmes (PSN) such as the Free\nNutritious Meals Scheme (MBG) and Village\/Sub-district Cooperatives Red\nand White (KDMP), Said assessed that MBG falls within the mandatory\neducation spending cluster, which is non-negotiable.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf MBG is in the mandatory education budget cluster, then it\u2019s\ncompulsory. There\u2019s no negotiating it. It\u2019s part of education spending,\nso it\u2019s mandatory,\u201d Said said.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, he reminded that improvements in MBG governance\nmust continue to be monitored. Said hopes the MBG programme can be\nimplemented effectively.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cImprovements in governance are needed in the field, and I agree. But\nit\u2019s legally mandatory because of its mandatory status\u2014it\u2019s education,\nafter all,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/middle-east-conflict-said-abdullah-urges-refinement-of-priority-programmes-1773312855",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}