UNAIR NEWS – In order to get aspirations and recommendations for Revised State Budget (RAPBN-P) draft, Budget Office and DPD held focus group discussion (FGD). It was held in the meeting room, Universitas Airlangga Management Office on Thursday, February 18.
FGD titled Proyeksi dan Asumsi Dasar Ekonomi Makro APBN-P dan Pokok-pokok Kebijakan Fiskal tahun 2016 was attended by six DPD RI members, four expert staffs DPD RI, representatives of East Java Development Planning Board (Bappeda) and academicians from Faculty of Economy and Business UNAIR, Universitas Negeri Surabaya and Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS).
Vice Chairman of Commission IV DPD RI Drs. H.A. Budiono, M.Ed, in his speech said that the government planned to formulate APBN-P 2016. From the FGD with academicians and regional government, DPD RI will give the recommendation to the House of Representatives (DPR RI).
UNAIR Rector, Prof. Dr. Moh Nasih, SE., MT., Ak, during his speech opening the FGD said that one necessary improvement for APBN-P 2016 is the mechanism of regional fund transfer. He explained that since higher education management was put under Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education (Kemenristek –Dikti), the fund allocation was prioritized for schools infrastructures in 3T Area (Outermost, Remote and Disadvantaged). This caused the fund allocation for Kemenristek –Dikti was limited, when those improvements can actually use the fund from the central to regional.
Be Realistic
Prof. Dr. Djoko Mursinto, SE., M.Ec, a professor of FEB UNAIR suggested to optimize the allocation of village fund. He said, if village fund allocation is increased, it will be able to reduce the poor in the villages, as long as the fund is used entirely to empower the community.
“The implementation is still lacking. Village fund was allocated to empower the unemployed. They should be empowered so their ability to buy can increase significantly,” Prof. Djoko Mursinto said.
In addition, Prof. Djoko felt pity if the assessment on the performance success was from the high budget absorption. According to him, the success should be seen from the output of the program.
“If the absorption works well, there should have real outputs,” said the lecturing staff in Department of Islamic Economic FEB UNAIR.
Dr. Nurul Istifadah, SE., M.Si, who is also UNAIR academicians FEB UNAIR, stated that APBN-P 2016 should be more realistic. Oil lifting target on APBN-P 2015 at 825 thousand barrels per day was not achieved. But in 2016, the government had increased the target to 830 thousand barrels per day.
“If the government wants to be rigid, when oil lifting target could be achieved, they should have increased other source of income, for example from taxes. But, if taxes are increased, it will affect the economic growth,” Nurul said.
Other than the problems elaborated before, some other university experts also suggested the APBN-P 2016 to allocate funds for renewable energy development. (*)
Author: Defrina Sukma S.
