REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA – The Deputy Chairman of Commission X of the House of Representatives Abdul Fikri Faqih said President Joko Widodo (Jokowi)’s instruction to allocate some of educational budget to be invested in educational endowment fund was inappropriate to the recent Indonesian condition. He said he understood that the basic purpose was to cut budget to save the state financial. But, he argued that the policy would lead into fatal impact in the future. 

"In negative state financial situation, it is ok to tighten financial budget in all sectors, but it should not lower the concern of human development through education. Because it will lead into fatal impact in the future,” he said to Republika on Wednesday (April 5). 

Fikri said the government would have violate the Constitution for lowering education budged under 20 percent. Constitution said every Indonesian national reserve the right to get education and the government must finance it. 

Previously, Jokowi asked some of the educational budged to be allocated as educational endowment fund. He said the budget allocation for education was proper, but it needed improvement on the use of it. 

Educational endowment fund was a long term fund for educational sector. It was an investment for the next Indonesian generation. Financial Ministry said Indonesian government had Rp 400 trillion of educational endowment funds up to 2030. “The funds could be used to get higher education in master or doctoral program,” said Jokowi. 

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