Sri Mulyani: Educational Budget Still Prioritized at 20 Percent
Monday, 08 January, 2007 | 17:10 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Finance Minister Sri Mulyani has said that the minimum 20 percent allocation of the 2007 State Budget for education solely occurred because of the government's limited budget.

She explained that should the value of the budget increase because of the improving economy, then the government will still prioritize the fulfillment of the educational budget allocation to least 20 percent of the State Budget.

“If the State Budget increases, the government will still prioritize budget for education,” she said after conducting a meeting with judges from the Constitutional Court on Monday (01/08) in Jakarta.

In the 2007 State Budget, the amount allocated for education was only around 11.8 percent.

This is equivalent to Rp90.10 trillion of the total budget of Rp763.6 trillion.

This statement was in line with a material test proposal of Law Number 18/2006 concerning State Budget Law 2007 over 1945 Constitution especially as regards an educational budget of 20 percent.

The proposal was made by Mohamad Surya, Head of Management of the Republic of Indonesia Teachers Association as wellas students' parents.

The reason was that educational budget of 11.8 percent in 2007 State Budget went against Article 31 Section (4) of the1945 Constitution which says that the state prioritizes an educational budget at least 20 percent of the State Budget for organizing education.

ANTON APRIANTO