Indra Gunawan Eet Highlights Polemic of Riau 2025 APBD Deficit: Deputy Governor Understands Better

Indra Gunawan Eet Highlights Polemic of Riau 2025 APBD Deficit: Deputy Governor Understands Better

PEKANBARU – ASWINNEWS.COM – Member of the Riau DPRD Budget Agency (Banggar), Indra Gunawan Eet, responded to the polemic that developed regarding the difference in the 2025 Riau APBD deficit figures. He emphasized that the figure conveyed by Riau Deputy Governor (Wagub) SF Hariyanto, which was IDR 132 billion, was more accurate than the statement of the Acting Regional Secretary of Riau Province (Sekdaprov), Taufik OH, who stated that the deficit reached IDR 3.5 trillion.

According to Eet, this issue should not be exaggerated because the deficit is not only occurring in Riau, but also in various other regions in Indonesia.

“The deficit exists, but it is not something extraordinary. Almost all regions in Indonesia are experiencing the same thing. The government has taken savings steps in accordance with Presidential Instruction (Inpres) Number 1 of 2025, such as cutting official travel, technical guidance (Bimtek), and postponing the inauguration of CPNS and PPPK,” said Eet, Tuesday (3/25/2025) when contacted by aswinnews.com

The Golkar Party politician assessed that Deputy Governor SF Hariyanto has a better understanding of regional finances than Taufik OH. This is because SF Hariyanto previously served as Head of the Riau Regional Government Budget Team (TAPD) when he was still the Regional Secretary.

“The Deputy Governor knows more about the budget because he once led TAPD when he served as the Regional Secretary. So, he understands better than Taufik OH, who does not have a background in regional budgets. There is no need to just talk if you don’t really understand the situation,” said Eet.

Eet also mentioned that a deficit of more than IDR132 billion had occurred in Riau before and was successfully resolved without causing panic. Therefore, he asked Taufik OH to be careful in making statements that could cause unrest.

“Don’t make the public panic with large numbers that are not necessarily accurate. There was a deficit of IDR1.7 trillion in the past, and it could be handled well. If now it is said to be IDR3.5 trillion, where did that figure come from? There must be responsibility for statements like that,” he said.

Previously, Taufik OH stated that the potential deficit in the Riau APBD reached IDR3.5 trillion after recalculating the realization of revenue in 2024 which only reached 85.38 percent of the target. He also mentioned delayed payments and unbudgeted employee spending as the causes of the increasing deficit.

However, for Eet, the calculation is not necessarily valid because it has not gone through a mature discussion. He emphasized the importance of better coordination within the Riau Provincial Government so that there are no conflicting statements.

“We need data unity and good communication. Don’t let one official say A, another say B. This is not just a number, but concerns public trust in the government,” he concluded.

Eet’s statement emphasized his position in defending Deputy Governor SF Hariyanto while criticizing the statement of Acting Regional Secretary Taufik OH which he considered was not based on a deep understanding of the regional budget.

Author Desi Mayasari
Editor Ardes

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