"We have created the LPDP endowment fund. Now, there are LPDP scholarship recipients in good universities around the world, and their quality is no less good," she noted at the Indonesia Data and Economic Conference event organized by Katadata in Jakarta on Thursday.
She underlined the importance of an endowment fund or education fund to support Indonesian children to go beyond their limits.
Indonesia has readied an endowment fund worth Rp140 trillion (approximately US$9.34 billion) to support several needs, such as research, cultural fund, pesantren (Islamic boarding school) fund, and overseas university enrollment registrations, she said.
The education fund offers hope for Indonesian students to continue their education. Therefore, she believes that investing in human resources is an important step.
Moreover, Indonesia has a large population, making it necessary for the country to create policies focused on building the productivity of its human resources.
"Therefore, in terms of investment in the field of education, now, there are many instruments in state finance," she pointed out.
Mulyani noted that the government had allocated 20 percent of the state budget (APBN) for education.
She expressed hope that the effort could also eliminate the inferiority complex among Indonesian citizens.
Nevertheless, she noted that the impact of education fund support currently being carried out by the government cannot be witnessed in a short period of time.
"The results do not happen overnight, in a year. (It is) because while sending children to school today, starting from kindergarten, the results may only be seen 20 years or 25 years later," she explained.
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Translator: Imamatul Silfia, Raka Adji
Editor: Anton Santoso
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