Prabowo Welcomes End of Ministry Birthday Budgets

President Prabowo Subianto has instructed all government institutions and agencies to scrap budgets for anniversary celebrations.

Prabowo has called for the government to be efficient at every level and to eliminate all budgetary waste.

He admitted he was pleased that ministry anniversary budgets no longer exist. Prabowo said anniversaries should be celebrated simply with a tumpeng cutting ceremony.

“I am glad that there is no longer any budget for ministry anniversaries. A ministry anniversary is enough with just cutting a tumpeng in the office,” Prabowo said in his speech on the 2027 State Budget financial note at the parliamentary complex on Friday (14/8).

However, Prabowo said the efficiency drive must be applied to every government agency and institution at all levels, from provincial to district and city level.

Instead, Prabowo suggested that the budget be redirected to strategic programmes, such as repairing schools and hospitals, and raising teachers’ salaries.

“There should be no budget for grand anniversary celebrations. It is better to repair schools and hospitals, and increase teachers’ salaries, rather than holding ceremony after ceremony after ceremony,” he said.

“But a centrally organised independence day ceremony is compulsory,” Prabowo added.