Govt to raise teachers' salary

Govt to raise teachers' salary

JAKARTA: In addition to providing scholarships for
disadvantaged students, the government plans to raise the monthly
salaries of teachers and provide students with free books.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono unveiled the plan for the
use of savings from the reduction in the fuel subsidy through the
planned fuel price hikes in April, former Indonesian ambassador
to Canada Ekky Syahrudin said on Tuesday after a meeting with the
President.

"The President specifically said that the fund would target
the poorest of the poor," he told journalists.

Susilo has vowed to personally monitor the disbursement of
some Rp 10.5 trillion (US$1.13 billion) from the state budget to
assist the poor.

The fund, a new item in the 2005 state budget, is aimed at
easing the impact of the fuel price increases on low-income
families.

The money along with an additional Rp 7.8 trillion from last
year's budget would be allocated largely for education, health
services, the provision of free rice and the construction of
rural infrastructure. --JP