SBY to present financial aid of Rp 25b for students, lecturers

Antara , Balikpapan | Mon, 06/16/2008 5:47 PM | Education

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is scheduled to present financial aid worth Rp 25 billion to students, civil servants and university lecturers in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, on Monday.

The presentation will be held at Tanjung Pura Military District Command after the President visits Bontang, also in East Kalimantan.

The funds will be presented to 200 elementary school students, 300 junior high school students and 400 senior high school students, whom will receive Rp 1,750,000 each.

Some 1,463 students from a three-year diploma program (D3) will receive Rp 2 million each, 9,820 university students will receive Rp 2.3 million, 475 postgraduate students will receive Rp 5 million each and PhD students will receive Rp 12 million each.

President Yudhoyono is also scheduled to inaugurate a number of projects and developments including the Samarinda Islamic Center, Samarinda Sports Stadium, Nurul Fatah Grand Mosque and several sports facilities for the 17th National Games (PON).

President Yudhoyono and his entourage, including First Lady Ani Yudhoyono, arrived in Balikpapan on Sunday and are expected to return to Jakarta on Tuesday.

The entourage also includes Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Widodo AS, Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro, and State Enterprise Minister Sofyan Djalil.

Earlier on Monday, President Yudhoyono was at Sekerat Beach, East Kalimantan, to watch a large-scale combined exercise of the National Defense Forces (TNI) from close quarters.

The President was accompanied by TNI Chief General Djoko Santoso, Army Chief of Staff General Agustadi Sasongko Purnomo, Naval Chief of Staff Admiral Sumardjono and Air Force Chief of Staff Marshal Subandrio.

On Sunday, the President witnessed a war exercise involving 340 Indonesian warships, six helicopters and five jet fighters, also in East Kalimantan.

The TNI's combined exercise, which started June 8, 2008, involved a total of 30,570 personnel.

The exercise, code named "Yudha Siaga" (combat alert), was held in Natuna and Batam in Riau Islands province, Singkawang in West Kalimantan, and Sanggatta in East Kalimantan. (**)