JAKARTA, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said on Tuesday that the ministry's proposed budget for 2026 amounting to 187.1 trillion rupiahs (about 11.4 billion U.S. dollars) has been approved by Commission I of the House of Representatives.
Sjafrie made the statement after attending a closed-door meeting with Commission I at the parliament building in Jakarta. He said that the budget will be used to pay salaries of soldiers and employees of the Indonesian National Armed Forces, strengthen the army's main weapon systems, and support other defense sectors related to safeguarding national sovereignty.
"The budget will be absorbed optimally so that its impact can be directly felt by the public," Sjafrie told reporters.
He said that the agreed proposal would be submitted to the Budget Agency for further discussions, and expressed hope that the process would proceed smoothly. ■
