What is the Central Government's Budget for the Defense Function?

Every August 17th, Indonesians celebrate the Independence Day of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia. In 2019, Indonesia will be celebrating its 74th anniversary. To maintain national unity, a substantial defense budget is necessary to safeguard its geographically archipelagic territory, stretching from Sabang to Merauke.

In the 2019 State Budget (APBN), the central government allocated Rp 108 trillion for defense functions. This figure is equivalent to 6.6% of the government's target spending this year, which reaches Rp 1,634 trillion. The realization of the budget for defense functions has shown an increasing trend and reached its peak in 2017, as seen in the graph below.

Although smaller compared to other functions, defense remains a focus of central government spending. This is reflected in the Ministry of Defense's budget in the 2019 APBN, reaching Rp 108 trillion, the second largest after the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing's budget of Rp 110.7 trillion.

(Read Databoks: APBN 2018: The Ministry of Defense Remains a Priority)