REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — Chairman of the Expert Council of the National Amanat Party (PAN), Dradjad Wibowo said that it would be wrong to ask about preparing a budget for a program such as free lunch. According to him, the lunch program promoted by Prabowo-Gibran will not take away from BOS funds.

“Some people criticize why the government prepares budgets for programs such as free lunches. Moreover, the Election Commission (KPU) has not announced the winner of the presidential election,” Dradjad told Republika on Tuesday (5/3/2024).

That view, according to Dradjad, is erroneous. Related to this problem, Dradjad said, there are two time sequences that must be distinguished. First, the period for setting up RAPBN 2025, whose authority is in the government of President Jokowi.

As per the constitution, President Jokowi has the authority to introduce various policies or programs during his term of office. In fact, if it were a party program that lost the presidential election. “His timing depends on the cycle of preparation of the RAPBN, not the schedule of the Commission,” said INDEF senior economist.

Dradjad explained that the point conveyed by Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto was, according to Dradjad, in the context of the fiscal space available for RAPBN 2025. “I think that if President Jokowi and the cabinet assess this discourse as much as possible, he will certainly not agree,” he said.

The next period, Dradjad continued, would be if Prabowo-Gibran was later sworn in as President and Vice President. As President, Prabowo holds the authority to structure the government and determine policies and programs.

“He has the option of continuing the 2025 state budget approved by the previous Parliament, or drafting the 2025 APBN-amendment together with the new Parliament. Including the stages and financing of free lunches,” said Dradjad, who is also a member of the Council of Experts of Timses Prabowo-Gibran.

Dradjad said that the option of financing the lunch through reallocation of funds from the previously budgeted program has never arisen, Dradjad said, neither the option of financing the lunch through the reallocation of funds from previously budgeted programs has ever arisen. Not from fuel subsidies, not from BOS, or any other program.

“What was discussed was to finance it with new receipts. These sources are being combed continuously. Of course, in time it will be announced by President Prabowo after he is sworn in,” he said.

Asserted, there are some principles that are firmly held. Among other things, fiscal discipline must be strictly maintained because it is very fundamental. “I personally expect the state budget deficit to remain or be lowered,” Dradjad said.

Secondly, there is no increase in VAT and VAT rates. The 12 per cent VAT remains in force because it has been decided in advance.

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