Long-term implications or new budget bill

Long-term implications or new budget bill

The new bill on non-tax revenues submitted to the House of
Representatives is part of an effort to improve budgetary
discipline. The bill, presented on Monday by Minister of Finance
Mar'ie Muhammad, was welcomed by legislators.

It could be coincidence that the bill was submitted following
the public uproar regarding the transfer of government funds to a
cabinet minister's personal bank account. It is likely that the
bill represents a response to the public's complaints about the
growing tendency for public funds to be misused.

We welcome the bill and hope it will help create a strong and
clean government as well as more efficient public services and
greater public initiative. These conditions are important to
reassure investors, foreign investors in particular. Many of them
have complained about complicated bureaucratic procedures and how
they make their operations in Indonesia more expensive. This
affects our competitive ability to attract foreign investment and
to boost international trade.

While in the short run it should improve budgetary discipline,
the bill is also another step towards achieving the long-term
goals of a healthy bureaucracy and improved public services.

-- Bisnis Indonesia, Jakarta