Ministry of Religious Affairs Cuts Official Travel Budget by 65 Percent

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag) has cut its domestic official travel budget by 65 percent to prioritise public services and ensure that priority programmes continue to operate. “We are implementing significant cuts to the international official travel budget of up to 70 percent and routine domestic travel by 65 percent. The savings from this budget will be redirected to maintain basic service functions without disruption,” stated Kastolan, Head of Planning at the Secretariat General of Kemenag, in a press release on Tuesday (7/4/2026). In line with this, Minister of Religious Affairs Nasaruddin Umar has called on all Kemenag civil servants to undertake a fundamental transformation in their programme planning mindset. “For future planning, I ask you to think out of the box. Our reference going forward should be the challenges, not just the budget we have. If the budget is limited, seek alternatives,” said Nasaruddin. Amid the quite heavy fiscal challenges in 2026, the Minister reminded his subordinates to sharpen several priority programmes. This sharpening is intended to ensure that religious and educational services continue to reach the grassroots level even though budgetary room for manoeuvre is very limited. Nasaruddin also asked his subordinates to integrate the programmes of religious instructors, mosque imams, and the Office of Religious Affairs (KUA) in a holistic, comprehensive, and integrative manner. “Our aspirations going forward are the challenges; do not just focus on the budget we have,” he emphasised.