The Ministry Of Finance Encourages The Papua Provincial Government To Allocate The Endowment Fund For The Education Of Indigenous Papuans

Native Papuan male students in Biak Numfor Regency are taking computer-based National exams before COVID-19. (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Indonesia (Kemenkeu) encourages the Papua Provincial Government (Pemprov) to allocate an endowment fund that is devoted to financing human resource development programs (HR) and education for indigenous Papuans (OAP).

Reported by Antara, Sunday, March 7, Director of Scholarships for Education Fund Management Institutions (LPDP) of the Indonesian Ministry of Finance Dwi Larso MSIE, Ph.D on the sidelines of the Scholarship Management Training for Civil Servants (PNS) of the Human Resources Development Agency (BPSDM) Papua in Hotel Morissey Jakarta was monitored from the Papua Provincial Government website on Sunday, saying that the endowment fund for education comes from the Papua Province Regional Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBD), which is allocated annually.

"For its management, it can modify the model or form of the education endowment program managed by the Indonesian Ministry of Finance through the LPDP," he said.

Dwi said, until now the education endowment fund managed by the LPDP has reached Rp. 70 trillion.

With 28 thousand scholarship recipients from all over Indonesia, according to Dwi, and 13 thousand of them have completed their education.

"The Papuan government can allocate a special endowment fund to finance human resource development and education. The funds come from the APBD or also from the Special Autonomy Fund or other funds," he added.

Dwi Larso said that with the education endowment fund, it would make it easier for the Papua Provincial Government to finance HR development and OAP education programs in the future.

Its use is also intended to finance research conducted by academics and scientists to assist the Papuan Government in managing the abundant natural resources on Earth of Cenderawasih.

"For example, the education endowment fund managed by the Ministry of Finance's LPDP is used to finance educational scholarships and research to help government development programs in the country," said Dwi Larso.

He added that the Central Government through the Ministry of Finance's LPDP is currently paying special attention to Papua, West Papua, Maluku, North Maluku and NTT in developing human resources in each region through the Affirmation Scholarship and East Indonesia Scholarship (BIT) program.

Meanwhile, the Head of the Papua Province BPSDM, Aryoko AF Rumaropen M.Eng, accompanied by the Head of the Sub Division of the Papua Province BPSDM Program, Dr. Karsudi M.Si, appreciated the support and the proposed allocation of the education endowment fund.

Rumaropen also hopes that the Indonesian Ministry of Finance will realize special programs for the development of human resources and education in Papua in accordance with Presidential Instruction (Inpres) No. 9 of the Year concerning the Acceleration of Welfare Development in Papua and West Papua Provinces.

Where in the Inpres, according to Aryoko Rumaropen, the Minister of Finance was instructed to allocate a budget to improve the quality of superior Papuan human resources through the affirmation of scholarships for the Education Fund Management Institution.

"We hope that the allocation of negligent education funds can be realized and of course not only get support from the APBD but also from the APBN as in Presidential Instruction number 9 of 2020 which instructs the Minister of Finance to allocate a budget for improving the quality of Papuan human resources through affirmative scholarships," added Karsudi.

The Papua Provincial Government (Pemprov) through the Papua Province Human Resources Development Agency (BPSDM) collaborates with the Ministry of National Development Planning / National Development Planning Agency (Ministry of National Development Planning / Bappenas), Ministry of Education and Culture (Kemendikbud) and Ministry of Finance (Kemenkue) of the Republic of Indonesia , held a Scholarship Management Training for BPSDM Civil Servants (PNS) for two days (4-5 March 2021) at the Morissey Hotel, Jakarta.