House approves more budget allocation on stimulus package

The Jakarta Post | Tue, 02/24/2009 4:07 PM  

The House of Representatives has approved the government’s request for an additional Rp 10.2 trillion to the economic stimulus package that will be disbursed on infrastructure projects this year. 

Vice chairman of House Budget Committee, Suharso Monoarfa, told reporters on Tuesday that the proposal was approved on a working committee meeting earlier that day, making the total amount of budget allocated for the stimulus package now stood at Rp 71.3 trillion. 

“The proposal was approved because it was in line with article 23 in the 2009 State Budget Law. Let’s just hope this stimulus can be implemented well,” he said as quoted by detikfinance.com. 

The article stipulates that should the economy is under an emergency situation the government, with the approval of lawmakers, can change its annual budget allocation without having to revise the State Budget Law. 

To safeguard the implementation of the stimulus package, Suharso said the House would directly monitor the central government’s financial report. 

“We do not want this stimulus to become a waste,” he said. 

Of the additional Rp 10.2 trillion, Suharo estimated that only Rp 8.2 trillion could be considered as a direct spending. However, he said, such amount would be able to create 2.4 million employment. (and)