Sri Mulyani Slashes Office Supplies Budget by 90% for Ministries, Agencies

 President Prabowo Subianto targets the efficiency of the ministry and agency budgets in 2025, to save up to Rp256.1 trillion in spending. The spending on office supplies (ATK) is demanded to be cut by 90 percent.

The directive is based on a circular letter by the Minister of Finance, Sri Mulyani Indrawati, on January 24, 2025. The letter, numbered S-37/MK.02/2025, lists 16 types of operational expenditures to be reduced.

The percentage of cuts varies. For example, office supplies (ATK) are reduced by 90 percent; printing and souvenirs by 75.9 percent; rent for buildings, vehicles, and equipment by 73.3 percent; studies and analyses by 51.5 percent; and training and technical guidance by 29 percent.

The Head of the Communications and Information Services Bureau of the Ministry of Finance, Deni Surjantoro, confirmed the issuance of the letter. "Yes, and we at the Ministry of Finance are still reviewing the process," he said when confirmed by Tempo on Tuesday, January 28, 2025.

Previously, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, revealed that the purchase of office supplies (ATK) by ministries and agencies could reach Rp44 trillion. According to Dasco, Prabowo will implement cost-efficiency spending for these expenditures.

"These are the small things Pak Prabowo will do in terms of budget efficiency for ministries and agency expenditures," he said, as quoted by Antara on Tuesday, January 28.

Based on Presidential Instruction (Inpres) number 1 of 2025 on budget efficiency, the budget cuts in ministries are targeted to save the 2025 state budget by Rp256.1 trillion and Rp50.5 trillion in transfers to regions (TKD). Thus, the budget cuts are expected to save up to Rp306.6 trillion.