Maman, a member of the MPR Research Body, has highlighted the\ndilemmas faced by local governments due to the dominance of central\ngovernment programmes that often fail to align with local realities or\ncapacities. He noted that regional leaders currently face immense\nchallenges as many programmes are centralised, unlike previous eras when\nvillage funds and other budgets were more flexible.<\/p>\n
These remarks were made during a Focus Group Discussion (FGD)\norganised by Group IV of the MPR RI Research Body, titled \u2018Rupiah\nDepreciation and National Economic Resilience: Monetary, Fiscal, and\nSocial Welfare Implications\u2019, held in Cibubur, Bekasi, on Tuesday\n(2\/6\/2026). During the forum, Maman criticised certain programmes that\nappear forced, such as village cooperatives implemented without local\ncommunity engagement, describing such approaches as \u2018authoritarian\u2019.<\/p>\n
As a legislator active in overseeing public services and religious\naffairs, Maman also linked the weakening of the Rupiah to the quality of\nservices for Indonesian Hajj pilgrims in Saudi Arabia. He revealed that\nIndonesia\u2019s fiscal capacity to pay for Masyair services (Arafah,\nMuzdalifah, and Mina) is currently lower than that of neighbouring\ncountries such as Myanmar and the Philippines. He argued that the\ndecision to prioritise low costs over high-quality service leads to\npilgrim grievances.<\/p>\n
Beyond the Hajj sector, Maman presented alarming data regarding\nbudget leakages in social assistance (bansos) and energy subsidies,\nattributed to poor data validation and banking bureaucracy. He stated\nthat leakages in social assistance have reached 45 per cent, or\napproximately Rp 17 trillion, while energy subsidies leakages range\nbetween Rp 100 trillion and Rp 140 trillion. He specifically pointed to\nissues with Himbara banks, alleging that funds for social assistance\nwere sometimes held for up to 15 days in certain regions, allowing banks\nto benefit from the interest generated by the circulating funds.<\/p>\n
Consequently, he supports economists\u2019 proposals to implement\nintegrated digitalisation, such as the use of QRIS or digital point\nsystems, to close corruption loopholes. Despite macroeconomic indicators\ncausing concern among investors and the public, Maman called for\noptimism and a search for solutions to strengthen the Rupiah\u2019s exchange\nrate.<\/p>\n
The FGD concluded with several key recommendations: first,\nstrengthening the synchronisation of the State Budget (APBN) and\nRegional Budgets (APBD) through an integrated fiscal framework; second,\ndeepening the domestic financial market and strengthening economic\nfundamentals by increasing export value-add and reducing strategic\nimport dependency; and third, enhancing monetary-fiscal policy\ncoordination to protect vulnerable groups from the impacts of Rupiah\ndepreciation.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/mpr-research-body-highlights-budget-leakages-and-declining-hajj-service-quality-1780857884", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }