Only 82 percent of education budget spent

Aditya Suharmoko, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 12/08/2009 4:33 PM

National Education Minister Mohammad Nuh said Tuesday his office had only spent 82.3 percent of its budget as of November, but remained optimistic it could spend a total of 95 percent by the end of the year.

"In one or two weeks, [spending] may increase to 95 percent," Nuh said on the sidelines of a seminar on governance.

"[The rate of spending] is acceptable, it’s normal ... above 90 percent is considered normal."

The National Education Ministry this year received a budget allocation of 20 percent of the total state budget, or about Rp 200 trillion (US$21 billion).

Under the Constitution, the government must allocate a fifth of its total annual budget to education. Not actual increase has been made, as most of the budget is allocated for teachers’ salaries, and not proper educational programs per se.