Commission IX Agrees on Proposed Budget Increase for Contraceptives

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Commission IX of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) has reached an agreement with the Ministry of Population and Family Development (Kemendukbangga)/BKKBN RI regarding a proposed budget increase of Rp500 billion for the 2027 fiscal year, specifically allocated for the procurement of contraceptive tools and medicines (alokon).

Speaking during a working meeting with Kemendukbangga at the Parliament Complex in Jakarta on Thursday, the Deputy Chairman of Commission IX, Charles Honoris, stated that the procurement of contraceptives is vital as it relates to population control, which requires government attention to ensure a healthy population structure.

He also warned that the demographic bonus will not automatically become an advantage if the increase in the productive-age population is not accompanied by the creation of productive human capital and jobs.

“We have a large workforce, but jobs are unavailable due to technological advancements; today, the industrial sector may no longer use or is beginning to automate, reducing the need for manual labour, while the use of artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly dominant. Therefore, government policy must be truly precise,” he said.

Previously, during the meeting, the Deputy Chairman of Commission IX, Yahya Zaini, noted that the 202lar budget for strategic activities of Kemendukbangga/BKKBN RI for 2027 only allocated Rp350 billion for contraceptive procurement. In his view, the ideal budget for contraceptives should range between Rp800 billion and Rp1 trillion.

Similarly, the Deputy Chairman of Commission IX, Nihayatul Wafiroh, also urged Kemendukbangga/BKKBN RI to implement a budget increase of Rp500 billion for contraceptive procurement. She assessed that the Rp350 billion allocation is inadequate, especially since no budget for contraceptives is available for 2026 and there remains a high number of unintended pregnancies.

“Because we are the ones constantly conducting socialisation to the community, our message has shifted from ‘two children are enough’ to ‘two children are healthier’. We are also thinking about how family planning is one way to prevent stunting. One aspect of family planning is through the use of contraceptives,” she said.