Government disburses Rp 19 trillion in Idul Fitri bonuses

STATE BUDGET - JAKARTA. The central government had disbursed most of the Idul Fitri holiday bonuses (THR) for civil servants, including members of the police force, the military, pensioners, as well as employees of nonstructural government agencies.

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said that as of 10 a.m. on Friday, the central government has disbursed Rp 19 trillion (US$1.32 billion) in bonuses or 95 percent of the Rp 20 trillion allocated this year.

Out of the Rp 19 trillion, Rp 11.4 trillion was transferred to members of the police force, the military as well as civil servants, while Rp 7.6 trillion was disbursed to civil servant pensioners.

Sri Mulyani said the central government’s work units that have yet to file for their THR can do so before May 31 or after the Idul Fitri holiday period.

“We hope the [disbursement of] THR and the 13th-month salary bonus, which will be disbursed next month, will […] impact the economy through household spending,” Sri Mulyani said in Jakarta on Friday.

She added that higher spending during the Idul Fitri holiday, manageable inflation, higher investment and political uncertainty would boost the growth of Indonesia’s gross domestic product’s (GDP), at least higher than the 5.07 percent of growth recorded in the first quarter this year.

The government has set an economic growth target of 5.3 percent this year.