$189m for business training for the poor

$189m for business training for the poor

JAKARTA (JP): The government has linked up with private
universities across the country to provide training on
entrepreneurship to the poor, a senior official said yesterday.

A memorandum of understanding was signed between the National
Family Planning Board, the Ministry of Education and Culture and
private universities in September last year.

Planning board chairman Haryono Suyono said the program aimed
to develop and encourage entrepreneurship among low income groups
and increase the role of women in development.

Haryono said the program was expected to help raise their
living standards and self-reliance while the university students
could apply their knowledge in the field and gain work
experience.

He said the government allocated Rp 450 billion (US$189
million) for the project that would last until the year 2004.

He said once successful, participants would be rewarded with a
certificate and offered access to bank credit.

Haryono said in addition to the funding, President Soeharto
had approved from Rp 300 billion to 400 billion annually to be
channeled through non-budgetary expenditures to rural
inhabitants.

The program would teach applied sciences, simple management,
practical skills development, preparing for entrepreneurship and
internship, he said.

He urged entrepreneurs to remain on the alert for
opportunities, challenges and continuous innovation.

Indonesia's low income earners total 22 million while two-
thirds of the country's workforce was unemployed and the
remaining one-third was employed, Haryono said.

Another speaker, director of private universities, Joetata
Hadihardaya said a total of 1.5 million students and a total of
100,000 professors from state and private universities throughout
Indonesia would also participate in the program. (01)