Waste Not, Meet Not

JOKO Widodo's voice rose as he spoke about the draft of next year's budget, raising the point that there were insufficient funds to pay for his administration's infrastructure programs. "I will start by economizing the expenses of the ministries," said Jokowi, in proposing a solution.

Addressing the Indonesian Business Association's (Apindo) panel discussion on the economic roadmap last week in Jakarta, Jokowi questioned the allocation for government meetings and official travel, which came to more than Rp37 trillion, of which Rp18 trillion was specified for meetings. "How can trips and meetings cost so much?" asked the former governor of Jakarta. "This does not make sense. It should be economized."

September 23, 2014