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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Economy & Trade

Celios: Postponement of State Budget Press Conference Limits Information Access

From Tempo · (13m ago) Indonesian Critical tone

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • The Center of Economic and Law Studies (Celios) criticizes the postponement of the "APBN Kita" press conference as a sign of increasingly limited public access to state budget information.
  • Celios argues that delaying budget updates fuels public distrust and market speculation, potentially harming investor confidence.
  • The organization urges the government to be transparent about the state budget, especially amid economic uncertainties and global conflicts.

The Center of Economic and Law Studies (Celios) has voiced strong criticism regarding the postponement of the "APBN Kita" (Our State Budget) press conference, viewing it as a worrying trend of restricted public access to crucial fiscal information. Celios believes that regular updates on state revenue, expenditure, and debt management are vital for maintaining public trust. The organization's director, Nailul Huda, stated that the delay suggests the government may be attempting to obscure the true state of the national budget from the public, thereby increasing economic uncertainty. Bhima Yudhistira, Executive Director of Celios, added that such delays invite speculation from investors about fiscal performance, which could damage market confidence in the government's economic management. He stressed the importance of government openness, regardless of the prevailing conditions. Celios also highlighted that infrequent budget explanations limit public oversight, which is particularly concerning given the weakening rupiah, questionable spending on strategic projects, and global instability stemming from conflicts like the one in Iran. The Ministry of Finance's shifting schedules for these press conferences, including a last-minute withdrawal and rescheduling of materials, have only fueled these concerns and left many questions unanswered.

Keputusan penundaan semakin membawa ekonomi Indonesia menuju ketidakpastian karena informasi menjadi terbatas

— Nailul HudaDirector of Celios, commenting on the postponement of the APBN Kita press conference and its implications for economic uncertainty.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Tempo in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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