Smart Indonesia Program will improve student achievement
Jakarta, The Gulf Observer: The Presidential Staff Office (KSP) has said that the Smart Indonesia Program (PIP) must not solely be geared toward budget absorption, but must also improve student achievement.
Deputy II of the Presidential Chief of Staff Abetnego Tarigan said the KSP is continuing to oversee the disbursement of the 2023 PIP budget to fulfill President Joko Widodo’s instruction that the program provide access to education while increasing the standard of living of students.
“After students graduate, how are their achievements? This includes where they work and how much the benefits received can improve their standard of living,” Abetnego said in a written statement that was released by the KSP on Friday.
Tarigan, who monitored the disbursement of the 2023 PIP budget in Batam, Riau Islands, said school operators will no longer be burdened with the task of reconfirming the disbursement of PIP funds with students’ parents.
According to him, the banking technology system, namely the Association of State-Owned Banks (Himbara), should be able to make this easier for PIP operators in schools.
“So confirmation regarding students who have activated banking can be done automatically,” the KSP’s deputy for human development said.
Tarigan monitored the disbursement of the 2023 PIP budget in two schools in Batam, namely SMPN 27 and SMKN 5. He was accompanied by head of the Riau Islands Provincial Education Office, Andi Agung.
Based on the KSP’s monitoring, Rp250 billion from the PIP budget was returned to the state treasury in 2022. Responding to these findings, KSP called for optimal and on-time disbursement of PIP 2023.
