Ministry of Health to get $1.3b

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Health Sujudi sought ideas from the House of Representatives yesterday on his ministry's allocation of Rp 3.1 trillion (US$1.3 billion) for the 1997/1998 fiscal year.

Sujudi said the budget would be divided into routine spending of Rp 1 trillion and development spending of Rp 2 trillion.

The new budget is expected to take effect On April 1.

Most of the budget for routine activities is for salaries, constituting Rp 759 billion. Equipment expenditure will total Rp 209 billion.

The ministry's Secretary-General, Hidayat Hardjoprawito, said in next fiscal year the ministry expected foreign aid totaling Rp 497 billion ($207 million) from, among others, the Asian Development Bank and leading United Nations organizations including UNICEF and UNDP as well as bilateral donations from France and Austria.

Hidayat said the soft loan, with a term of five to seven years, carried an interest rate of 10 percent and installment payments lasting 10 years. This marked a significant increase on this year's total of Rp 170 billion.

The loan would be allocated to an iodine intake program, sanitation methods, a maternal medical care program, increased blood supply for Sulawesi, additional funding for a Bengkulu hospital and the prevention of communicable diseases such as tuberculosis and dengue fever, Hidayat said. (01)