Education, health draft budget raise hackles

Education, health draft budget raise hackles

Sari P. Setiogi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Politicians and at least one expert criticized the 2004 draft
budget allocating only Rp 20.2 trillion (US$2.3 billion) for the
education and health sectors, saying it was more evidence that
the government had little commitment to improving public welfare.

According to the draft budget unveiled to the House of
Representatives in a plenary session here on Friday, the
government proposed Rp 14.9 trillion, up by 1.16 percent from Rp
12.8 trillion in 2003 for the education sector and Rp 5.3
trillion, up by 1.13 percent from Rp 4.6 trillion in 2003 for the
health sector.

"With such an insignificant increase in the education budget,
it shows that the government is less concerned with this most
important sector," Chairman of the House's Commission VI on
education Taufiqurrachman Saleh told The Jakarta Post by
telephone.

Taufiqurrahman admitted that he had already received several
phone calls from numerous people expressing their disappointment
over the relatively minuscule amount allocated for education.

"They are all dissatisfied with the draft budget because they
think education needs to be a high priority as it is an
investment in the nation's future," he said, citing for example
that Malaysia and Singapore regularly spend around 35 percent of
their state budgets on education. Both countries are way ahead of
Indonesia in most statistical categories.

He said he was pessimistic that the government would make
significant achievements in its development programs in the
education sector, because the small budget would not be enough to
optimize school capacity, improve the quality of basic education,
grants for low-income people to send their children to schools,
improve school management and teaching staff's performance and
salaries.

"Supposedly the routine expenditures, except for the defense
sector, could be allocated for the education sector," he
conceded.

Taufiqurrahman suggested that Indonesia spend more for the two
important sectors as Singapore and Malaysia have done. The
amended 1945 Constitution proposes as much as 25 percent of the
state budget for education.

"We are lacking in basic education. More schools need to be
built, and existing elementary schools in remote areas
particularly need better facilities, more qualified teachers and
more literature," he said, adding the ideal education budget for
the next fiscal year would be Rp 20 trillion.

Separately, education expert Arief Rachman concurred and said
that the people should realize that reliance on the government to
develop the education sector was a dead-end and the people should
take the responsibility in their own hands.

"We should have a people-based education financing system
since the largest responsibility actually lies with us.

"The government just will not pay more attention to the
education and health sectors as it should according to our
Constitution ... The regional councils should map out their
respective financial conditions. Companies who gain a lot of
profit should be asked to allocate their capital for the region's
education," said Arief.

With the proposed budget, Taufik said he was pessimistic that
country's Human Development Index (HDI) could be improved from
its current ranking as second worst in the world. Nor would it
help to improve basic education or combat the rampant illiteracy
in rural areas.

"I am not sure we will be able to reach any goals. A small
percent of the targets, maybe".

Arief said Indonesia would likely be able to repair its HDI
only a bit higher than the current position "but it will be
better than Indonesia's condition 15 years ago."

Concerning the health budget, Deputy Chairman of the House's
Commission VII on health and social welfare Surya Chandra
Surapaty, said he was only slightly satisfied with the proposed
increase in the health budget.

He said the proposed health budget was still far below the
World Health Organization (WHO)'s recommended 15 percent of the
state budget.

"The budget is expected to be enough to finance the building
of health system for the people," he said adding that the health
system focuses on healthy living and how to keep healthy, instead
of being ill and getting medicine for cures.

Surya said the House should review the health budget to give
more attention to health development in urban and rural areas and
to handle fatal diseases, including HIV/AIDS.