Minister Prasetyo: No Issue with Budget Increase to Prevent Corruption

The State Secretary, Prasetyo Hadi, stated that increasing the budget for oversight institutions and law enforcement agencies is not a problem if required to strengthen the prevention of corruption in the implementation of government programmes.

“If this becomes a consequence of strengthening oversight, we believe there is no issue, because it is better to increase the budget to prevent the occurrence of corrupt criminal acts,” said Prasetyo at the Presidential Palace Complex in Jakarta on Friday.

This statement was in response to directives from President Prabowo Subianto during the National Consolidation of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) Programme, organised by the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) at the Sentul International Convention Centre (SICC), Bogor, West Java, on Wednesday.

According to him, the President has requested that law enforcement agencies and oversight bodies, such as the Attorney General’s Office, the National Police, the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP), and the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), continue to perform their oversight functions optimally.

“If strengthening is required, it can be conveyed to the President; indeed, our spirit is to try our absolute hardest to combat this culture of corruption,” he said.

Praseyto added that all government programmes are essentially within an oversight mechanism. The BPKP, as the government’s internal auditor, routinely conducts oversight of processes occurring within ministries and agencies.

“The BPKP is the government’s internal financial auditor, and all ministries and agencies routinely undergo oversight regarding all processes running within their respective institutions,” he said.

During the BGN consolidation forum in Sentul, Bogor, on Wednesday, the President requested that the BPKP, KPK, Attorney General’s Office, and other law enforcement agencies communicate their requirements to strengthen the execution of their duties.

“Head of BPKP, what do you need? If you need additional personnel, however many you need, I will fulfil it. Chairperson of the KPK, however much you need, report it, I will fulfil it. Attorney General, however much you need, I will fulfil it,” said the President.

According to Prabowo, strengthening oversight institutions and law enforcement agencies is necessary to ensure there is no misuse of public money and to maintain the authority of the government and the state.

“I do not want the people’s money to be stolen, and there will be no exceptions,” the President asserted.