Never forget nutrition and education, as they are the foundations needed by us to meet global competition."Ambon (ANTARA News) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) underlined the importance of developing health and education services to meet global competition, which is growing increasingly stiffer.
"Never forget nutrition and education, as they are the foundations needed by us to meet global competition," he stated here on Wednesday after distributing "Smart Indonesia Card" (KIP) education subsidy facility to the students of SMPN 2 state junior high school in Ambon, the capital of the eastern Indonesian province of Maluku.
He said the government continued to boost the development of human resources, steps for which are being undertaken right from pregnancy through the distribution of additional nutritional foods.
The event was attended by First Lady Iriana along with Coordinating Minister for Human Resource Development and Culture Puan Maharani, Education Minister Muhadjir Effendi, Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, and Health Minister Nila Moeloek.
A total of 1,265 school students in Ambon received KIP ranging from Rp450 thousand for elementary school goers, Rp750 thousand for junior high school students, and Rp1 million for senior high school students.
President Jokowi said the money could only be utilized by students for school purposes and not for recharging their phones, adding that the cards of those found engaging in such practices would be cancelled.
President Jokowi and his entourage arrived in Ambon at 2:15 p.m. East Indonesia Standard Time from Jakarta, with a two-hour time difference between Jakarta and Ambon.
The agenda of the presidents working visit to Ambon will include attending a supplementary feeding program and family hope program events and distributing Healthy Indonesia cards and KIP to offer health and education subsidies.
On Thursday, he is scheduled to attend National Press Day 2017 before returning to Jakarta.
(Reported by Agus Salim/Uu.H-YH/INE/Kr-BSR/B003)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2017
