PALANGKA RAYA – EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATION BUREAU. Assistant for Economics and Development Leonard S. Ampung, representing the Acting Provincial Secretary Nuryakin, attended the Discussion Meeting on Work Programs related to the Roadmap for Inflation Control of Central Kalimantan Province for 2022-2024, located in Bajakah Meeting Room 1, Second Floor, Governor’s Office, Tuesday (11/1/2022).

“We hope that our meeting today can be effective, we can directly dive into the roadmap and we also have submitted materials for all of you to fill in according to your respective tasks and functions and we hope that we work well on it, we can provide input,” Leonard hoped when opening the meeting.

The Assistant for Economics and Development also hoped that communication and coordination can be improved starting early this year. “And, for the Economic Bureau, I ask that we have a meeting every month on how to respond to the situation, the inflation situation because we are at TPID. So, this is what we have to monitor and we need to always report to the central government regarding the current situation and condition in Central Kalimantan Province related to inflation,” he added.

Furthermore, Deputy Head of Bank Indonesia Representative Office for Central Kalimantan Province Yudo Herlambang said that the National and Spatial Inflation was still maintained low and stable, where in October it was 0.12% (mtm) and 1.66% (yoy), slightly below the target range 3±1% (yoy).

Yudo said that the achievement of inflation still faces various challenges. “Medium-term inflation control still faces a number of challenges, both globally and domestically,” he explained.

In the midst of the inflation target set to decline further, the inflation target for 2022-2024 is directed to support Indonesia’s economic recovery after the Covid-19 pandemic. As per Minister of Finance’s Regulation (PMK) Number 101/PMK.010/21, the inflation target is set at 3±1% (yoy) for 2022 and 2023 and 2.5±1% (yoy) in 2024.

In today’s meeting, it was revealed that since 2015, the inflation rate in Indonesia has continued to experience a downward trend and is within its target range, except during the Covid-19 pandemic. In the future, efforts will be made to achieve inflation to return to the target in order to maintain credibility and inflation expectations. In this regard, it is deemed necessary to integrate the Inflation Control Roadmap with the Government Work Plan (RKP) and the National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN).

The preparation of the Inflation Control Roadmap itself is considered important as a guideline for controlling national and regional inflation and as a basis for preparing periodic TPIP work programs. The preparation of this roadmap also aims to ensure the continuity, synchronization, and accuracy of the TPID work program with regional characteristics in addition to encouraging regions to make program innovations. The evaluation of the roadmap and work programs will be reported periodically to the President at the National Coordination Meeting for Inflation Control.

In his directions at the 2021 National Coordination Meeting for Inflation Control, Indonesian President Joko Widodo emphasized the importance of taking advantages of the pandemic momentum to accelerate the digitization of upstream-downstream food MSMEs. Therefore, the 2022-2024 Inflation Control Roadmap work program takes the theme “Accelerating Structural Improvement by Encouraging Digital Adoption for Inflation Stability and Economic Recovery Towards Developed Indonesia” while continuing to adopt a 4K policy strategy (Price Affordability, Supply Availability, Smooth Distribution, and Effective Communication).

Relevant provincial government institutions are requested to immediately submit their strategic programs and work programs for being compiled into the Roadmap for Inflation Control of Central Kalimantan Province for 2022-2024, by Wednesday (12/1/2022) so that they can be immediately compiled and submitted to the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs in mid-January 2022.

Also present at this meeting were the Governor’s Expert Staff for Economics, Finance and Development Yuas Elko, Head of the Trade and Industry Office Aster Bonawaty, Acting  Head of the Transportation Office Yulindra Dedy, as well as Acting Head of the Economy Bureau Said Salim.

In addition, the meeting was attended by a number of officials from provincial government institutions and other relevant agencies, such as the Central Kalimantan Food Security Office, Central Kalimantan Food Crops, Horticulture and Livestock Office, Central Kalimantan Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Office, Central Kalimantan Energy and Mineral Resources Office, Central Kalimantan Development Planning Agency, Central Kalimantan Statistics Agency, Bulog Regional Division of Central Kalimantan, as well as Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency of Tjilik Riwut Meteorological Station, Palangka Raya. (ran/ben/ trans.by feb)