REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, By: Asma Nadia

In a settled family, a father implement new policy of giving money for his four children.

From now on, he will give monthly money to his first, second, third, and the youngest children in a large amount, more than enough for just buying a snack or completing their daily needs. The children were free to use it.

His message is only one, spend money for useful thing or not at all. At the end of the month, the father calling his children to ask how they spend their money.

The first child said he used money to buy the latest gadgets. The second female child explained that she used money to buy branded clothes. While the third child spent money for school stuffs. The fourth child was different with other children. He twisted his monthly money for the business.

Hearing their explanation, the father was mad at the first and second child. He considered that they were wasteful and had not wisely used the money. But in the following month, he kept giving monthly money with the same amount - however, the money was their right, he thought.

At the end of the month, the father wanted to know again how his four children used their money.

The first child decided not to use the money. He even decided to skip lunch in the cafeteria because of fear of being scolded if he uses his money. The second child just bought lunch, and the rest of money was left intact.

The third and the fourth children remained spend their money as before. Although the first and second children were not spend their money too much, they still got the father's anger. He thought that his two oldest children are stingy, oppressed themselves and did not use the money wisely.

The first and the second children were confused. How the money should be used?

Confusion of having no money is a natural thing. However, confusion of having money, is something new. Funnily enough, the story of the first and the second child is fact that currently happened in Indonesia.

When many regional heads were arrested and charged as a result of misuse of the local budget, now most regional heads was afraid to use the local budget. Hundreds of trillions money were being idle in the bank because it was not used by the local government.

Since 2011 to June 2015, there were still local budget that were "idled" in the bank. If the fund was totaled, it reached Rp 273.5 trillion. It was quite a lot for areas that absorb only 20 percent – 30 percent of the regional budget.

Village funds to Rp 20.7 trillion, which was still not disbursed until August, were boosted, so that in the last four months, it can be well distributed. Because it was important for infrastructure development and community empowerment.

One of the reasons why the budget was not disbursed, besides the management of the government, it  was because the regional leaders were too careful to use the budget.

Essentially they faced the legal process was not due to the use of the budget, but due to violation in the use of the budget. So they should not have to worry as long as they do not violate. But still, regional leaders should be extra careful.

Even there was idea to publish a presidential decree of anti criminalization, so that local governments are not afraid to use the budget for the benefit of society. The slow absorption of budget was not only in local government, but also at ministerial agencies.

For the same reason, besides administrative problems, anxiety of local government to be caught in legal problems also became one of the reasons of slow absorption. In fact, the anxiety had been spreading to the state-owned enterprises (SOE) sector. Several large projects of SOE were delayed for years because of the leadership of the SOE companies were afraid to make decisions. Previously, several SOE officials dealt with the legal problems, related to the policy chosen in the past.

Officers who handle cases of corruption also began to scared. Some officials had lost its positions when dealing with corruption cases, involving people who have great influence.

Apparently, our beloved Indonesia has faced new problem. Not only lack of money, but lack of  intelligent and courageous figure who utilize available funds for the benefit of the people. The allocation of funds clearly requires careful planning and it must be prepared.

I can accept that the father of four sons and daughters in the illustration above was traumatized by their children who were still learning. But this attitude was not naturally occurred on public officials who had decided to go ahead and said they were ready to lead.

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