During The Pandemic Era, Sri Mulyani Asked Minister Of Health Budi Sadikin To Expand The Medical LPDP Program

Illustration (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Minister of Finance (Menkeu) Sri Mulyani said that she received a special message from the Ministry of Health led by Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin to allocate more in the medical field to the scholarship program (Education Fund Management Institution).

According to the Minister of Finance, the request is quite relevant to the current conditions that are being hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the Ministry of Finance as the manager of LPDP funds is ready to support the Minister of Health's strategy.

“This year the health sector is very important and prominent. The Ministry of Health asks for a significant LPDP allocation for the development of doctors, especially specialists," he said through a virtual channel on Friday, February 25.

The Minister of Finance added that this initiative is also a strategic step for the success of the transformation of the health service sector in Indonesia which is being intensified by the government.

"This is also a form of support for health transformation and reform," he said.

Furthermore, the state treasurer explained that the LPDP program will always be active in adjusting the needs of human resource development (HR) in the midst of increasingly complex dynamics and challenges.

"LPDP will continue to respond to development needs, both short-term and other strategic matters in the medium-long term," he said.

For information, the LPDP program is a scheme designed by Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani in 2010 when she was a member of the cabinet of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. LPDP can be regarded as a manifestation of the law to provide decent and quality education for citizens.

In the early days of its formation, the government allocated a budget of Rp. 1 trillion which was then managed as an endowment fund. Until now, the management of LPDP funds has reached almost Rp. 100 trillion.

In terms of utilization, it is now increasingly diverse and does not only focus on providing postgraduate and doctoral scholarships abroad. It is noted that a number of programs have also been developed nationally, such as the development of human resources in the cultural sector as well as strategic research.

"We will continue to collaborate in the management of the LPDP so that Indonesia's human resource development programs will continue to be supported," closed the Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani.