Remove orientation to projects
Hapuskan orientasi proyek
Kompas, 27 April, 2017
President Asks for Priorities to be Set
JAKARTA, KOMPAS - President Joko Widodo has reminded all stakeholders at the central government and regional government levels to plan and implement development in an integrated manner. Therefore, the mentality of government apparatuses that are oriented to projects should be abolished.
The stakeholders in question are ministries and state agencies, provincial governments, regency governments, and city governments. The bureaucracy within these institutions are the parties responsible for planning and implementing various development programs that are mostly financed from taxes and borrowings.
The President in his speech at the opening of the 2017 National Development Planning Workshop in Jakarta, Wednesday (26 April), said that many projects with completed construction have proved to fail to function. This is because the projects are built partially.
For example, a reservoir is not equipped with an irrigation network. Another example is for a port that does not have an access road. There have been many things like these for years.
"It means, there is no consolidation and good integration between the central government, provincial, regency, and city governments. What does it mean? The orientation is only to projects, so that it does not produce output nor outcomes," said the President.
Set priorities
In order for development results to be more optimal, the President also asks all government stakeholders to set development priorities. Subsequently, budget allocations follow the priorities that have been set.
"I want to remind you; our budget has not been focused for years. Planning has never been focused and has no clear priorities," the President said.
Therefore, the President suggests a maximum of three to five priorities.
Head of the National Development Planning Agency, Bambang PS Brodjonegoro, said that the Government Work Plan (RKP) of 2018 is very critical. This is because most of the targets set in the National Medium Term Development Plan (RPJMN) 2015 - 2019 have to be realised by the end of 2018.
Nevertheless, Bambang emphasized, the slowing of global and domestic economic growth is inevitably rendering the initial targets no longer realistic, such as economic growth as a macroeconomic assumption. Therefore, adjustments will be made. (LAS)