Jakarta Prioritizes Refocusing Budget Allocation to Curb Covid-19

The Jakarta administration is committed to accelerating the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic with one of its focuses being the commitment to allocate a budget for incentives of health workers, Covid-19 vaccination, etc. Based on the report of the Home Ministry's Regional Financial Development Directorate General as of August 20, the total refocusing budget allocation is at least 8% of the Revenue Sharing Fund (DBH)/General Allocation Fund (DAU) for the 2021 fiscal year (FY), the administration is the highest in Indonesia.

The administration has allocated a huge budget, which is at Rp 1.4 trillion or 11.44 percent of the total DBH

Jakarta Financial Man agement Body (BPKD) Head, Edi Sumantri said, the refocusing policy was a mandate from the Central Government as regulated in the Finance Minister Regulation number 17/PMK.07/2021 on Management of Transfers to Regions and Village Funds for the 2021 Fiscal Year in order to support the Handling of Covid-19 and its impact.

"The administration has allocated a huge budget, which is at Rp 1.4 trillion or 11.44 percent of the total DBH than the minimum value set by the central government. This is a form of our commitment in prioritizing efforts to accelerate the handling of Covid-19," he said, as quoted by Jakarta PPID's press release.

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He explained, the budget was allocated for payment of incentives for health workers, incentives for supporting staff, incentives for volunteers, procurement of bufferstock for urban village and operational support for vaccinations. Then according to the ministry's data, the total budget for refocusing incentives for national health workers reached Rp 1.9 trillion and the budget allocation from the administration was the highest worth Rp 710.15 billion.

Jakarta Health Agency (Dinkes) Head, Widyastuti added, it was dedicated to civil servants and non-civil servants in all puskesmas, RSUD/RSKD, and regional health laboratory. It was also to meet the shortfall in payments for incentives for health workers who provide services in 2020.

"Until August 26, temporary realization reached 44.17% or Rp 313.7 billion, which was used to pay for approximately 55,000 health workers including specialist doctors, general practitioners, nurses, midwives and other health workers. This budgeting commitment is one of the Central Government's strategic policies related to accelerating the handling of Covid-19, one of the focuses of which is to strengthen the utilization and mobilization of health workers through integrated and effective re-function, redistribution and recruitment in health care facilities," she added.

Besides financial support, since March 2020, they also have facilitated lodging and transportation for health workers through APBD, which is still running until now in synergy with the central government budget.

"Various supports for health workers who dedicate themselves to handling Covid-19 are expected to be a motivational commitment thus Jakarta and all its residents can soon control coronavirus cases optimally and collaboratively," she uttered.

Aside that, they also budgeted for social aid spending. According to the ministry's data as of August 20, the realization of this social aid expenditure was in the top 5 in Indonesia worth Rp 7.2 trillion. The budget was used for the Cash Social Assistance (BST) program, disabilities, the elderly, education in the form of Jakarta Smart Card (KJP) and Jakarta Superior Student Card (KJMU).