JAYAPURA - The Papua Provincial Government responded quickly to the constraints on financing domestic and foreign scholarship programs that have recently been voiced by the parents of these students.
According to Papua Acting Secretary Derek Hegemur, four Acting Governors will sit together to discuss the issue on Tuesday (1/16/2024) tomorrow.
The four regional leaders of Papua Province, South Papua Province, Central Papua Province and Mountain Papua Province.
"The financing of the scholarship program will be discussed tomorrow together with the governor of the new autonomous region and 9 regents/mayors in Papua. This is a follow-up to the previous meeting."
"This meetingalso follows up on direct directives from the Minister of Home Affairs. The meeting will also be facilitated by the Ministry of Home Affairs," explained Acting Secretary Derek Hegemur, in Jayapura City, Monday (1/15/2024).
The Head of the Human Resources Development Agency or BPSDM Papua, Aryoko F Rumaropen, said that under the agreement of the central government and all regional heads in Papua, the 2023 scholarship become a joint responsibility between the province and the district/city based on population data from each student.
"This has been arranged by the central government and the Papuan government each with a scholarship burden. For example, Papua Province has 9 regencies/cities," said Rumaropen.
For Papua Province, Rumaropen added, according to the agreement on July 26, 2023, it is confirmed that the provincial government and 9 district/city governments provide financial support for the completion of scholarships. However, it was not carried out as agreed.
"Finally, the provincial government through the policy of the Governor and Secretary, scholarships that are dependents are paid for the domestic period of January to June semester. While abroad it is in January to June, January to August, and January to December for some campuses that require us to pay and it has been completed,"he said.
As for the six months from July to December 2023, continued Aryoko Rumaropen, some arrears have not been paid because both provinces and districts/cities must adhere to the decision of July 26, 2023, namely that the completion of scholarships is not only the responsibility of the governor but the regent and mayor as well.
"We both know that provincial finances are low, but the district/city government's planned needs in 2023 cannot be disrupted anymore for scholarship needs. As a result, another accumulation of dependents amounting to IDR 116 billion from July to December must be paid. That's why we will have a meeting tomorrow," he said. ***