An UGM team came second place in the National Writing Contest held on 1 May 2010 at Makassar State University. UGM team consisting of Genesiska (Biology), Sigit Dwi Maryanto (Biology), and Muhammad Dzarnuji Aziz (Engineering) submitted a paper entitled Implementation of Strategy of Plant Breeding to Improve Agribusiness Ahead of ACFTA.
"There are no laws governing the DPR to propose funding from the state budget. If there is, it violates the law," said Anggito in a public lecture in the Auditorium of Masters Management UGM, Thursday (10/6). According to Anggito, the Parliament task is to approve the budget and discuss it with the government. "The government proposes, discusses, and implements the budget," he said. Proper and good management of state funds are intended to support monetary and fiscal policy. Nevertheless, manipulations of state budget still emerged, done by ministers, members of parliament, governors, and regents. "This is the challenge for the related institutions to watch," he said.
On the DPR behavior, Anggito felt familiar with it. He admitted that during the ten years of his tenure, he spent much energy every time he discussed the budget with the Parliament. Nevertheless, mostly the final outcome in the House of Representatives is determined by the one who has the majority of seats. Therefore, Anggito always believes that he has to make a harmonious relationship with the MPs. "During those ten years, I’ve got tired with their various behaviors," he said.
Although the state budget must be approved by the DPR, this does not allow them to file an arbitrary budget for their own use. It was said by this lecturer of the Faculty of Economics and Business UGM, the state funds can not be used for things that are not priority. According to Anggito, the state budget fund is needed to boost economic growth and prosperity. "The state budget is considered as the anchor of the national economy," he added.
Luckily, in the last ten years, the state budget has shown quite remarkable achievement, becoming indicators of increase in the state debt ratings issued by the international rating agencies, considered as in a safe condition of the burden of debt to GDP. The opposite condition, exemplified by Anggito, is the financial crisis in Europe, triggered by high budget deficits and rising debt burden to GDP, as experienced by Greece, Portugal, Italy, and Spain.
Sigit continued that for the short term, the seeds to be marketed should be those that have passed certification. After that, the productivity value is increased by giving training to people in seed production centres. Sigit emphasised that to maintain the sustainability of agribusiness, five steps of plant breeding should be done synergically by related institutions. "With this step, Indonesia will slowly become an independent country to meet its own agricultural demands,” he concluded.