House Commission XIII Urges Immigration and Corrections Ministry to Back Prabowo's Efficiency Drive, Defers Rp5 Trillion Budget Hike

House Commission XIII has not yet approved a request for an additional budget of around Rp5 trillion proposed by the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections (Kemenimipas) for 2027, asking the ministry to support President Prabowo Subianto’s policy on efficiency. “Mr Minister, when the President delivered his speech here at the DPR RI, the spirit was efficiency and the narrow fiscal space is making it increasingly difficult to breathe. We cannot yet approve the minister’s proposal for a budget increase, so let us together set an example. All partners of Commission XIII should become an example of the President’s spirit of efficiency, especially for matters that are physical in nature and bureaucratic support,” said Chairman of House Commission XIII Willy Aditya during a working meeting with the ministry on the discussion of the Ministry and Agency Work Plan and Budget (RKA-K/L) and the Government Work Plan (RKP) in Senayan, Jakarta, as observed via TV Parlemen on Thursday. He reminded all partners of Commission XIII to support President Prabowo’s efficiency policy and become a model for other ministries and agencies. “We together demonstrate the President’s extraordinary spirit, we translate it within the same operational framework, in one breath,” he stated. During the meeting, almost all factions expressed that they could not yet approve the ministry’s request for additional budget and provided notes for the improvement of the 2027 RKA and RKP to Minister of Immigration and Corrections Agus Andrianto and his staff. Commission XIII member Anwar Sadad highlighted that the request for a budget increase was not accompanied by an equitable distribution of the budget across each directorate general. He observed that the budget allocation for the Directorate General of Corrections (Ditjenpas) showed no increase, remaining stagnant from the previous year, despite the directorate’s crucial role in providing guidance to inmates. “We know that the number of inmates increases by five percent each year, yet the corrections budget is stagnant with no increase,” he said. Deputy Chair of Commission XIII Dewi Asmara cautioned Minister Agus Andrianto regarding the budget planning concept he had drafted, noting a budget shift involving a Non-Tax State Revenue (PNBP) programme of Rp686.31 billion from law enforcement and service programmes to a management support programme. “Mr Minister, this policy of shifting the budget is very dangerous. How can you cut a substantial budget for law enforcement and services, only to serve bureaucratic posts or administrative facilities? We are less inclined to approve this,” she said. According to her, the immigration sector is currently facing challenges, namely leaks in border areas and the supervision of foreign nationals. “If this is reduced and shifted for administrative purposes, it feels as though we are not truly carrying out our main duties and functions,” she stated. Commission XIII members Bias Layar and Marinus Gea requested an evaluation regarding the budget allocation for the development and consolidation of human resource recruitment within the correctional centres (bapas) environment, as well as infrastructure development for bapas mandated to be built in every district/city. The meeting was adjourned to provide an opportunity for the Minister and his staff to revise the 2027 RKA and RKP based on the notes provided by each faction. Chairman Willy Aditya closed the meeting with the conclusion that the ratification of the ministry’s RKA and RKP for the 2023 Budget Year needs to be improved in accordance with the meeting notes no later than 17 June 2026. In addition to the proposed budget increase, the ministry had planned to build a mega maximum prison and purchase land assets for corrections. Responding to this, Minister Agus Andrianto acknowledged he had already received instructions that there should be no construction or asset purchases. He was also directed to utilise existing assets and cooperate with local governments. “Indeed, we have received instructions not to carry out construction or asset purchases, but to make use of what exists, including borrowing from local governments to support operational activities in the field,” he said.