Rp 109 billion to help the poor

JAKARTA: The Ministry of National Education has received Rp 109 billion from the government to help the poor offset the impact of fuel price hikes.

The fund is part of Rp 1 trillion that the ministry received to cushion the impact on poor people of the government's decision to reduce the fuel subsidy.

The ministry's director general of youth and informal education, Fasli Djalal, said on Wednesday the money would be used to finance educational programs in 300 community learning centers, packages of nine-year basic education for 250,000 illiterate adults, vocational training and to finance lessons for street children at 120 shelters.

The government has allocated about Rp 2.85 trillion this year in sectors such as health, education, food and social welfare to compensate for the subsidy cut. --JP