BMKG Urges for Budget Exemption to Safeguard Critical Services
City of Jakarta
The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has submitted a plea to avoid the imposition of a 50 percent budget reduction, which would compromise the functionality of its essential equipment and services. Initially allocated funds of Rp2,826 trillion are at risk under the proposed cut.
Muslihhuddin, Head of BMKG’s Legal, Public Relations, and Cooperation Bureau, articulated the potential repercussions of the budget reduction. A 71 percent decrease in maintenance capacity could jeopardize the agency’s ability to monitor weather conditions, climate dynamics, air quality, earthquakes, and tsunamis.
Risk to Early Warning Systems
BMKG’s nearly 600 earthquake and tsunami monitoring sensors, spread throughout Indonesia, are aging. With a delayed maintenance schedule, early tsunami warnings could extend from three minutes to over five, significantly hindering timely responses.
Impact on Climate Studies and Equipment Modernization
The budget cut obstructs efforts to study medium- and long-term climate trends, tectonic dynamics, and the modernization of operational systems. This is particularly critical for air transportation, a sector requiring absolute accuracy to ensure public safety.
Consequences for Public Services
Support services for food security, energy supply, and water management could be disrupted, affecting the socio-economic stability of the nation. Climate resilience development and support for disaster mitigation efforts are also vulnerable to these budgetary challenges.
Muslihhuddin underscored that BMKG’s role in providing tsunami warnings in the Indian Ocean and ASEAN is crucial and may be hindered by the proposed budget cuts.
BMKG’s Stance on Public Safety
BMKG’s request for budget accommodation emphasizes the importance of national resilience and public safety against geo-hydrometeorological threats. President Prabowo Subianto’s instruction has mandated a budget reduction of Rp306.69 trillion.
Government’s Budget Efficiency Proposal
In her explanation of the budget efficiency proposal, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati highlighted the redirection of funds to more socially impactful programs. These include Free Nutritious Meals (MBG), food and energy self-sufficiency, and health sector improvements.
Despite these initiatives, BMKG insists that the safety and preparedness of the Indonesian public cannot be compromised without adequate funding.
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Call to Action
The proposed budget cuts could have far-reaching and potentially devastating effects on BMKG’s operations. It is vital to support measures that ensure the safety and resilience of our nation. We encourage our readers to voice their opinions and support BMKG’s request for budget accommodation. Your input and awareness can drive meaningful change.
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