JAKARTA – Acting Governor of Papua, Agus Fatoni, has stated that he will immediately tackle the fiscal deficit currently faced by the Papua Provincial Government. He said that the budget evaluation would be among the first agenda items.

“We will overcome this together. Papua’s regional budget must be made healthier and more balanced,” said Fatoni.

According to him, the first step will be to review the spending plans. Programs that are considered to have no direct impact on the public will be cut.

“We will prioritize activities that directly benefit the people,” he stated.

Fatoni also reminded all regional government agencies to be more prudent in budget use.

He hopes that regional government spending will be directed toward strengthening basic public services and supporting economic recovery. ***