NTT Governor Cuts OPD Budgets by 10 Percent, Here is the Reason

The Governor of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena, has stated that the provincial government will save 10 percent on expenditures to anticipate the impacts of global and national economic conditions. The savings are being implemented through a 10 percent budget cut in every Organisasi Perangkat Daerah (OPD) under the NTT Provincial Government. This step is taken in response to the uncertain economic situation, particularly due to the impact of the roles of Iran, America, and Israel. “We are grateful that the government has not raised fuel prices, but fuel is one of the production factors, and it turns out that some commodity prices have already started to rise,” said Laka Lena on Thursday (9/4/2026). Laka Lena also mentioned that El Niño will have a more serious impact in NTT compared to last year. Therefore, saving on expenditures is considered important to anticipate future conditions. “We are saving 10 percent on expenditures to anticipate various possibilities that will arise in the future, which require our preparedness in terms of budget and so on,” he added. With these savings, the provincial government hopes to adapt to the uncertain economic conditions and ensure the availability of funds for the needs of the community. NTT DPRD Requests Clarification Separately, Member of the NTT DPRD, Nelson Matara, welcomes the provincial government’s decision to save 10 percent on expenditures. However, he requests further clarification from the NTT Governor regarding the policy. Nelson also questioned employee expenditures, which have so far exceeded 30 percent. Nevertheless, the condition is still considered stable. He asked that this decision not be taken unilaterally. “We welcome what has been conveyed by the government, but this requires study, not just because of regulations and then we have to follow them properly,” said Nelson. He asked the NTT Governor to build good communication with the DPRD to avoid creating negative perceptions between institutions. “We need communication from Mr. Governor so that there are no negative perceptions between institutions, whether in government OPDs or the DPRD as a supervisory body,” he added. The NTT DPRD is still waiting for official information from the NTT Governor and hopes for further discussions regarding the decision. “We are waiting for discussions so that we can discuss it, at least an internal meeting between the DPRD and the NTT Governor,” said Nelson. It is known that the NTT Provincial Government has instructed a 10 percent budget cut for every OPD in NTT, including the NTT DPRD Secretariat.