Purbaya: Don't Worry, Rp60 Trillion Disaster Funds Available

JAKARTA – Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa said the government has prepared a fiscal space of around Rp 60 trillion, partly to support the acceleration of post-disaster rehabilitation and reconstruction.

But Purbaya noted that the funds have not been fully utilised this year due to phased infrastructure implementation.

Finance Minister Purbaya previously stated that the government identified a fiscal space of around Rp 60 trillion that could be redirected for priority needs, including disaster management.

He said the government faces no issues with budget availability.

However, fund disbursement is often delayed due to incomplete documentation from the proposing ministries and agencies.

“Sometimes the documents from ministries and agencies are incomplete. So we say we’re ready to release funds once the paperwork is complete,” he said.

Purbaya stressed that the Finance Ministry’s current approach differs from before.

Previously, budget requests merely awaited administrative processing, but now the Finance Ministry actively assists to expedite disaster fund disbursement.

He said he has instructed his team to actively follow up on all disaster-related budget requests.

“I told my director-general that for any disaster-related budget requests, we should follow up by calling the ministries or agencies if their documents are incomplete,” Purbaya said.

He added that the Finance Ministry is prepared to send personnel directly to relevant ministries or agencies if needed to assist with administrative documentation.

With these measures, the National Treasurer hopes disaster fund disbursement will accelerate, preventing delays in rehabilitation and reconstruction.

“I hope these steps will speed up disaster-related fund disbursement. So there’s no need to worry, the money is available,” Purbaya said.

For context, Purbaya told House of Representatives Commission XI on Monday (8 December 2025) that the government has also prepared additional fiscal space by reviewing spending in ministries and agencies for the 2026 state budget.

This was done early by screening non-productive activities, such as meetings with unclear benefits.

Purbaya stressed this process is not a budget cut but an efficiency measure.

The review will be conducted immediately after the state budget is approved to avoid sudden cuts like last year.

With existing reserves and Rp 60 trillion in efficiency measures, Purbaya assured the government is prepared to respond to disasters without disrupting budget stability.