Balikpapan City Government to Allocate IDR 30 Billion for Free School Uniforms

The Balikpapan City Government in East Kalimantan has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening the free school uniform programme. The administration plans to allocate around IDR 30 billion for the 2026/2027 academic year, an increase of approximately 10 per cent compared to the current year’s budget. The goal is to increase the number of uniforms provided to each new student from three sets to five.

“The free school uniform programme is a form of the city government’s presence in guaranteeing every child’s right to a proper education, regardless of their family’s economic condition,” said Balikpapan Mayor Rahmad Mas’ud during a symbolic handover of free uniforms to new students at SDN 009 North Balikpapan on Thursday (16/7).

He emphasised that the preamble to the Constitution clearly states that every citizen has the right to a proper education. “Not only the rich or the poor, but all children must obtain their right to education,” he said.

Currently, the city government provides three sets of uniforms to each new student. However, the mayor stressed that this is not the administration’s final target. “Actually, we want five sets of uniforms. Right now, we can only provide three sets according to the region’s financial capacity. Hopefully, in the future, our budget will improve so this programme can be expanded,” he explained.

Rahmad added that increasing the number of uniforms is not merely about providing school supplies, but is part of an effort to reduce the economic burden on families, especially at the start of a new school year. To support this programme, the city government has increased the budget by around 10 per cent to approximately IDR 30 billion, demonstrating its commitment to expanding educational services for the community.

The mayor stressed that education and health will remain top priorities in the regional budget policy because their benefits are directly felt by the public. “The government will continue to prioritise budgets for sectors that directly touch the needs of the people, especially education and health,” he said.

He expressed hope that the city’s fiscal capacity will continue to improve so that various public service programmes can be expanded, including achieving the target of providing five sets of free uniforms for all new students. “We greatly hope that the region’s finances will become stronger so that education and health programmes can continue to be improved for all the people of Balikpapan,” he concluded.