TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - West Java Governor RIdwan Kamil stated that the West Java Regional Representatives has approved the 2020 Regional Budget, which among others, include budget for free school program for high school and vocational school starting next year.

"Thank God, [the free school program] can be started, if there was the term SPP, not its Education Participants Education Monthly Fee or IPBD. For high school and vocational school, its free," Ridwan said in Bandung on Thursday, November 28, 2019. "Hopefully it runs well."

The West Java Regional Budget 2020 will bear the monthly tuition fee of public high school and public vocational school. Meanwhile for private school students, there will be financial aid, specifically aimed at students from underprivileged families.

West Java Regional Secretary Daud Achmad said that the West Java Regional Representatives approved the Regional Budget in a plenary session on Wednesday, November 27, 2019

"Total volume of the [2020] budget is IDR 46 trillion. Income at IDR 41.5 trillion. And the spending is IDR 45 trillion. There is a IDR 4.512 deficit which will be covered from the Slipa [excess budget utilization]," Daud said to Tempo on Wednesday, November 27, 2019

RIdwan Kamil explained that the free school program is organized from the provincial government bailout. For the free school program, the budget needed is IDR 1.4 trillion every year. Because the program will star on July, the budget was split, each IDR 700 billion.

AHMAD FIKRI (CONTRIBUTOR)