DAU to help 'meet education budget'<\/p>\n
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
In order to fulfill the education budget required by the
\nConstitution, the central government may encourage regional
\nadministrations to allocate 50 percent of their 2003 general
\nallocation funds (DAU) for education, an expert has said.<\/p>\n
Senior lecturer at the Bogor Institute of Agriculture Hidayat
\nSyarief said the government had no other alternative but to take
\nsuch a measure.<\/p>\n
"Otherwise, the government will breach the Constitution and
\nthe House of Representatives (DPR) will consequently have to
\nreprimand the government," Hidayat said over the weekend.<\/p>\n
In the draft 2003 state budget, the government has allocated
\nsome Rp 13.6 trillion (US$1.5 billion) for education. The amount
\naccounts for some 25 percent of total development spending of Rp
\n55.5 trillion, but less than 4 percent of total government
\nexpenditure of Rp 354 trillion.<\/p>\n
Article 31 (4) of the amended 1945 Constitution stipulates
\nthat the state shall give priority to the education budget by
\nallocating a minimum of 20 percent of the total state and
\nregional budgets, to meet the costs of national education.<\/p>\n
Hidayat said political parties appeared reluctant to declare
\nthat the government had violated the Constitution for failing to
\nallocate 20 percent of the state budget to education.<\/p>\n
Hidayat said if local governments had the courage to allocate
\n50 percent of DAU for education, the education budget would reach
\nabout Rp 80.5 trillion, or 22 percent of the draft 2003 state
\nbudget.<\/p>\n
"The government and the House must work hand in hand to
\npersuade local governments to take this measure," he said.<\/p>\n
The government has started disbursing DAU for regional
\nadministrations as part of the implementation of Law No. 22\/1999
\non Regional Autonomy.<\/p>\n
Hidayat said that with the additional funding, Indonesia was
\nexpected to close the gap in education with other countries such
\nas South Korea and Malaysia.<\/p>\n
Besides, he said, the management of education funds must be
\nalso be transparent to prevent corruption.<\/p>\n
"I think it is time to establish an "education watch" to
\nmonitor the use of education funds," he said.<\/p>\n
He added the funds should be disbursed to raise the number of
\nteachers, improve school facilities and be distributed to
\nteachers and schools across the country.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, House education expert Fathoni R. said that the
\nHouse would try to ensure that the government did not breach the
\nConstitution.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/dau-to-help-meet-education-budget-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}