The government has assured that the disbursement of state budget funds for Asian Paragames 2018 will not be delayed.
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Vice President M. Jusuf Kalla (black hat) talks to lifter Sri Wahyuni during his visit to the weightlifting national training center at the Pasmar weightlifting camp, Central Jakarta, Friday (17/11). The visit was made to check preparations for the 2018 Asian Games.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS – The government has assured that the disbursement of state budget funds for Asian Paragames 2018 will not be delayed. The funds will be disbursed in January 2018 and will immediately be given to the Indonesia Asian Para Games Organizing Committee (Inapgoc).
Youth and Sports Ministry secretary Gatot S Dewa Broto in a press conference on the Asian Paragames 2018 Technical Delegates Meeting in Jakarta, Friday (17/11), said that a solution had been found for the problem of a lack of funding for Asian Paragames 2018. In a meeting with the Finance Ministry’s Directorate General for State Budget on November 13, 2017, the Youth and Sports Ministry was told that the government had allocated the required funds.
“The director general for budget has agreed to fulfill the proposed budget for the holding of Asian Paragames 2018 of Rp 1.7 trillion, including tax,” he said.
Gatot assured that there would be no delays in the transfer of funds after they were disbursed in January 2018. “We realize that if it is delayed again, there will be negative consequences on preparations for the Asian Paragames 2018. We also do not want to put the reputation of the nation at stake because of the problem,” he said.
His optimism is based on the budgeting mechanism, which is now better than before. In 2017, the Youth and Sport Ministry acknowledged, there had been delayed disbursement of funds. This was because of the restructuring of working units at the authorized budget management (satker KPA) at the ministry. One satker KPA unit was split info six plus one units and so the ministry was still trying out the work mechanism.
“Now we are more ready and therefore the disbursement of funds will be faster,” said Gatot.
Vice President Jusuf Kalla, after inaugurating At-Taqwa Mosque at the Marine Troop Command headquarters in Jakarta, yesterday, said the government had fulfilled the budgetary needs of Asian Paragames 2018. The budget for the Asian Paragames is not as big as that for the Asian Games because it does not require additional facilities. The arenas used for the Asian Paragames is the same as those that were used for the Asian Games and therefore the government only has to allocate funds for the event’s operational costs.
“Asian Paragames is always held after Asian Games. So, it can be said the facilities does not need adding. Everything has been built, all that’s left is the execution,” said Kalla.
Disbursement near end-of-year
So far, the 2017 budget for Inapgoc of Rp 86 billion is ready to be disbursed. Gatot said that on November 14, the Youth and Sports Ministry and Inapgoc signed a memorandum of understanding agreeing that the disbursement of funds will be done on November 27.
Gatot admitted that disbursement of the 2017 budget is very close to the end-of-year book closing date. Therefore, the ministry has asked the Inapgoc to absorb 100 percent of the funds within the space of one and a half month.
The ministry wants the Inapgoc to spend the fund as optimally as it can. If there are any remaining funds, it would have to be returned to the governments first.
“The government promised that it will return the remaining funds that have not been absorbed next year, outside of the Rp 1.7 trillion, Gatot said.
Meanwhile, Inapgoc chief Raja Sapta Oktohari said the commission was relieved to be given such an assurance because many preparation agendas have been delayed because of a lack of certainty regarding budget. In fact, the Asian Paralympics Committee (APC) had even doubted Indonesia’s ability to stage the Asian Paragames 2018.
“However, with confirmation regarding budget, we can assure the APC that Asian Paragames 2018 will be held well. Because this has Indonesia’s reputation at stake,” he said.
Regarding the absorption of the 2017 budget, Raja said the commission has prepared the program since August and therefore the budget can be immediately absorbed after it is disbursed on November 27. However, only 80 percent of the budget, at most, can be absorbed. Spending 100 percent of the budget is impossible given the time constraints.
“There are some things that are impossible for us to auction because of the short time left. The programs will be continued next year. The government understands this,” Raja said.
