goodmorningpapua.com – The Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri) continues to encourage the realization of the Papuan student scholarship program to the United States.
The Ministry of Home Affairs also encourages regional heads in Papua to be actively involved in financing. An Acting Director General of Regional Financial Development (Dirjen Keuda) Agus Fatoni stated that his party some time ago had held a coordination meeting to discuss the continuation of the Papuan student scholarship program in the United States.
The meeting was attended by the Inspector General (Irjen) of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Tumpak Haposan Simanjuntak, officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Papua Provincial Government. The coordination meeting was held as a follow-up to information received by the Indonesian Ambassador to America who reported that the Papua Provincial Government had not paid scholarships for 21 students in the United States.
Agus Fatoni encourages the best financing solution, especially for the scholarship program for Papuan students in 2023.
Fatoni revealed a number of financing solutions that can be done. One of the solutions is through a cost sharing scheme or special financial assistance from district/city Special Autonomy funds to Papua Province.
Another alternative is to go through a mechanism for calculating the need for scholarships agreed upon by the governor, regent or mayor, which is then taken from the allocation of each region by the Ministry of Finance.
Based on the information received, said Fatoni, overseas scholarship payments for 2021 will be completed in accordane with invoices from each university. Meanwhile, the funding scheme for the 2022 scholarship needs has been prepared.
On the other hand, the Papua provincial government needs to sit down with the district/city governments to discuss and agree on the continuation of the funding for Papuan student scholarships. “The governor (Papua) and regents/mayors plan to hold a coordination meeting on 15-18 February 2022 to discuss this scholarship (Papuan students),” said Fatoni.
The issue of scholarships for Papuan students has previously been discussed by ministries/agencies. Fatoni explained that the resolution of this problem had been discussed by the Ministry of Home Affairs with the Indonesian Ambassador to America, the Education Attaché at the American Embassy, the Ministry of Finance (Kemenkeu), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemenlu), and the Papua Provincial Government.
Meanwhile, the Head of the Human Resources Development Agency (BPSDM) of the Papua Province said that the lag in payment of the 2021 scholarships was due to the fact that the bill or invoice for the fall semester had not been submitted to the Papua Provincial Government.
Besides, the Head of the Regional Financial and Asset Management Agency (BPKAD) of the Papua Province said, the Papua Provincial Government has budgeted for all scholarships for 2021 and 2022 have also been budgeted. “What has not been budgeted yet is for the 2023 scholarship,” he said.