East Kalimantan Governor Addresses Provincial Government's Rp10 Billion Food Budget

East Kalimantan Governor Rudy Mas’ud has spoken out regarding the provincial government’s food and drink budget, which has drawn public attention for reaching Rp10 billion. He stressed that the spending figure has actually decreased each year. Rudy stated that circulating information is often incomplete, taking only snippets of numbers without viewing the full data. Therefore, he requested that checks be conducted directly at official sources. “If you want to ask for data, come directly to the governor’s office. Don’t search around on your own and end up wrong,” he said on Thursday (23/4/2026). He explained that food and drink spending in 2023 was Rp12.33 billion. It then rose in 2024 to Rp15.89 billion, but fell again in 2025 to Rp11.93 billion. “For 2026, it’s dropping further to around Rp10.24 billion. So the trend is declining,” he said. He emphasised that the figures often misinterpreted usually occur due to data being cut. For example, the Rp15.89 billion figure mentioned becomes Rp89 billion. “This is what’s dangerous. Numbers are cut up, resulting in wrong perceptions,” he asserted. Rudy also mentioned that the food and drink budget is not only in the provincial government but also in other institutions like the DPRD. However, he views it as part of operational needs. Additionally, he noted that initial budget plans appearing in documents are not always the same as realisations in the field. He exemplified that the circulating Rp25 billion plan was not fully realised. “The realisation was only around Rp16 billion, not as circulated,” he stated. He reminded that information conveyed to the public should not trigger misunderstandings. He hopes the atmosphere remains conducive and the public is not easily provoked by incomplete information. “If it’s wrong, correct it, but don’t let it be ignited into an untrue issue,” he said.