REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The Creative Economy Agency (BEK) explained to the House of Representatives (DPR) here on Thursday the programs it has planned for this year.
BEK head Triawan Moenaf told members of Commission X on financial affairs about steps his agency has taken for boosting the country's creative economy development.
He said BEK was established in 2015 and had been equipped with organizational personnel and had implemented a number of programs.
A number of organizational personnel have been installed in a number of positions, such as echelon I to echelon IV officials. "An Echelon I official was installed in July 2015," he said.
Programs were also implemented, based on the divisions of deputies in the agency, he added.
"The deputy for capital access has provided assistance for creative industry players with a relatively large amount," stated Triawan.
It has also assisted with the inventory of HAKI (copyright) items. "The number of items is relatively big," he remarked.
But he also admitted that up to March 2016, his agency has only absorbed 0.94 percent of its budget allocation.
A number of lawmakers have appreciated the steps taken by BEK. However, the lawmakers also urged BEK to increase its budget absorption capacity.
"Its budget absorption until March this year was only 0.94 percent. A government deficit may arise due to low absorption. This is a professional issue related to financial officials," Commission X member Dadang Rusdiana of the Hanura Party stated at a working meeting with BEK here on Thursday.
To this end, he urged BEK to take steps, so that the absorption of its budget, set at Rp1.054 trillion, can be utilized optimally.
Several factors have slowed down the absorption of the budget, such as a shortage of officials with the required tenure and certifications involved in the budget, head of BEK, Triawan Moenaf remarked.
"The auction process has not run well, which has also affected the budget absorption process," he noted.
Popong Otje Djundjunan of the Golkar Party, another Commission X member, also stressed that the agency should focus on making internal improvements to increase the capacity of budget absorption.
The Commission X members called for optimizing budget absorption in the coming months, including postponing several overseas visits.
BEK Deputy Head Ricky Pesik explained that as part of the efforts, it would conduct a simultaneous revision of the projected budget proposals.
"There are six deputies and one chief secretary in the BEK, who can formulate the proposals. The proposals and their revisions were not made simultaneously. We will improve this," Ricky remarked.
He pointed out that budget absorption has also been slow as civil servants at the BEK were not deployed on a permanent basis and came from other ministries. No funds from the budget were utilized to pay the salaries of civil servants as they were on the payroll of their respective ministries.
Ricky affirmed that BEK will make utmost efforts to increase budget absorption to a maximal level.
The working meeting was chaired by Commission X Chairman Teuku Rafly Harsya.
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