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nderprivileged students in the capital will start benefitting from the Jakarta Smart Card (KJP) program by April after the related agency, along with other working units, received their budget allocation list from the governor.

The Education Agency has secured more than 25 percent of the total budget of Rp 49.9 trillion (US$5.14 billion), or Rp 12.5 trillion, which is the biggest slice of the budget compared to other agencies or working units.

Agency head Taufik Yudi Mul-yanto told reporters on Tuesday that Rp 804 billion of the agency’s total budget would be allotted to the KJP program, which would provide cash assistance to underprivileged students.

“We earlier estimated that the number of students eligible for the cards was 332,465. They are between 7 and 18-years-old. But we might revise the figure because it was set based on last year’s data,” he said after a handover ceremony presided by the governor at City Hall.

“All underprivileged students who study in Jakarta, including those who live in Greater Jakarta and commute every day, are entitled to the cash assistance.”

The agency aimed to distribute the cards to all targeted students this year, Taufik said.

“We aim to complete the distribution [of the cards] before the National Exam for senior high schools, which will be held on April 15,” he said, adding that the agency would work with relevant agencies to monitor the process.

Each holder of a Jakarta Smart Card — similar in function to ATM cards — will receive Rp 240,000 every month to finance their school activities, including transportation, books and shoes.

The KJP scheme, in which city-owned Bank DKI is incorporated, is among 57,000 programs listed in this year’s city budget. Other priority programs include massive dredging projects to address the state of the city’s rivers and waterways, the redevelopment of slum areas and the healthcare program.

The Health Agency has set aside Rp 1.2 trillion for the Jakarta Health Card (KJS) healthcare program, aiming at the participation of 4.7 million Jakartans this year.

Jakarta Health Agency head Dien Emawati said the agency would push city-owned hospitals to convert 75 percent of their second class wings into third-class, to anticipate a significant increase in the number of KJS-facilitated patients.

“By the end of last year, the number of third-class patients reached 3.7 million, up by 1 million compared to the same period last year. We will add 345 third-class beds this year,” she said.

City secretary Fadjar Panjaitan called on the 745 agency units to spend all of their budget this year and to expedite the implementation of their programs, with the governor aiming at budget spending of 95 percent.

“Start the tenders in the first quarter so that all of the activities and procurement programs can be completed by November this year,” Fadjar said in his speech during the handover ceremony.

Fadjar also urged all unit heads to submit their financial reports before Feb. 28 as instructed by the governor.

Governor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said the administration, through its units, would distribute posters outlining the programs to all districts and subdistricts so that residents could monitor the implementation.

“We want to be transparent. We will [also] upload our programs to our website for everybody to access,” he said. “All tender processes will also be conducted online.”