"The scholarships will be taken from the budget of the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry and the National Education Ministry. The scholarships will be made available to students from all levels of education including institutes of higher learning," Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Fadel Muhammad said here on Tuesday.
He said the scholarships would reach Rp20 billion to Rp30 billion and the amount would be raised every year. The number of recipients was expected to increase in line with the government`s program to promote the living standards of the community, fishermen and farmers in particular.
The ministry had projected to provide scholarships to 12,000 children of fishermen next year compared to 2,000 this year, he said.
"The Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry will always cooperate with the National Education Ministry which has a great deal of funds and experience in managing the program," he said.
The government was serious about improving the education of citizens, particularly those belonging to low-income bracket such as fishermen and farmers, he said.
Fadel arrived here on Monday night. During his stay, he also attended a function marking the 15th anniversary of SmartFM and gave general lecture before students of North Sumatra University (USU).(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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