REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The Commission X on Financial Affairs of the House of Representatives has urged the Creative Economy Agency (BEK) to improve its budget absorption, which until March 31, had only reached 0.94 percent.

"Its budget absorption until March this year was only 0.94 percent. A government deficit may arise due to the low absorption. This is a professional issue related to the financial officials," Commission X member Dadang Rusdiana of the Hanura Party stated at a working meeting with the BEK here on Thursday.

To this end, he urged the BEK to take steps, so that the absorption of its budget, set at Rp1.054 trillion, can be utilized optimally.

Several factors had slowed down the absorption of the budget, such as a shortage of officials, with the required tenure and certifications, involved in the budget, Head of BEK Triawan Moenaf remarked.

"The auction process had not yet run well, which also affected the budget absorption process," he noted.

Popong Otje Djundjunan of the Golkar Party, another Commission X member, also stressed that the agency should focus on making internal improvements to increase the capacity of budget absorption.

The Commission X members called to optimize budget absorption in the coming months, including postponing several overseas visits.

BEK Deputy Head Ricky Pesik explained that as part of the efforts, it would conduct simultaneous revision of the projected budget proposals.

"There are six deputies and one chief secretary in the BEK who formulate the proposals. The proposals and their revisions were not made simultaneously. We will improve this," Ricky remarked.

He pointed out that budget absorption was also slow as civil servants at the BEK were not deployed on a permanent basis and came from other ministries. No funds from the budget were utilized to pay the salaries of civil servants as they were on the payroll of their respective ministries.

Ricky affirmed that the BEK will make utmost efforts to increase budget absorption to a maximal level.

The working meeting was chaired by Commission X Chairman Teuku Rafly Harsya.

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