REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, MATARAM -- The government has saved as much as Rp5.122 trillion so far by limiting the number of meetings being held in hotels, Minister Of Administrative Reform Yuddy Chrisnandi said here on Saturday (22/3).
"We have been able to save Rp5.122 trillion so far, which could be used to finance more prioritized programs," he stated during a working visit to the office of the Mataram city administration.
He added that the amount was larger than the budget for Mataram, which was only some Rp1 trillion.
The minister pointed out that by imposing the policy, the government had only wished for public services to not be extravagant.
"We always thought we could use the budget without considering whether what we did would benefit the community," Chrisnandi remarked.
Every rupiah that comes from the public, he emphasized, must be managed well, and by taking that into consideration, the government imposed limitations with regard to meetings that may be held in hotels.
"Last night, I met with officials from the local chapter of the Association of Hotels and Restaurants. They said they understood the policy," he revealed.
In fact, the government did not ban regional governments from holding meetings in hotels, Chrisnandi explained, as long as the hotels were government-run and the meetings involved a third party.
"Regional governments may hold events like seminars, symposiums, or policy familiarization meetings in hotels," he affirmed.
Moreover, if the familiarization event involves a third party---for example, if it is regarding an investment policy and invites investors---they may go ahead and hold it in a hotel, he said.
"It would be better if such activities in a hotel are concluded within a week and most funds are contributed by the third party. However, efficiency is the important factor to bear in mind," the minister remarked.
Chrisnandi further noted that the ban on holding meetings in hotels was primarily aimed at optimizing the use of government facilities.
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