Hoax! Government rejects providing budget for forest and land fire management in Kalimantan

A Facebook post featuring an infographic has been circulating, narrating that the government will not allocate a budget for the management of forest and land fires (karhutla) in Kalimantan.

The infographic displays an illustration of a burning forest accompanied by the text: “Latest… The government does not want to allocate a budget for forest fires because of efficiency!” The post was further accompanied by the caption: “Even in this situation, they are still thinking about saving money.”

However, is it true that the government is refusing to provide a budget for managing forest fires in Kalimantan?

Explanation:

Based on investigations, the government continues to prepare a budget for the management of forest and land fires. Minister of Finance Purbity Yudhi Sadewa, as reported by ANTARA, ensured that the government has prepared additional funds for disaster management needs, including forest fires.

These funds can be disbursed once the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) submits a request for the necessary funding. Purbaya explained that the BNPB currently possesses a budget of approximately Rp5 trillion for national disaster management. The Ministry of Finance has not yet increased this budget because the BNPB has not yet submitted a detailed request for additional funds.

According to Purbaya, the government does not limit the amount of funds that the BNPB can request for disaster management. However, the government requests that budget submissions be conducted reasonably and without price manipulation or mark-ups.

Previously, President Prabowo Subianto also emphasised that the government continues to implement integrated management for various disasters, including forest and land fires. Prabowo is optimistic that fires in several regions can be controlled promptly once the government deploys various resources for their management.

Therefore, the narrative claiming that the government does not want to allocate a budget for managing forest and land fires in Kalimantan is untrue. The central government continues to prepare funds for disaster management, while local governments are also allocating budgets to support the management of forest and land fires.