REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo is set to distribute the Indonesian Health Cards (KIH) to the public in mid April 2015, as promised during his presidential campaign.
President Jokowi reaffirmed his commitment during a visit to Amanatul Ummah Islamic Boarding School in Surabaya, East Java, on Friday evening.
"People are asking where the KIH cards are. I need to explain that after my inauguration in October and the approval of the state budget by the People's Representative Council, it took almost two months until the government could start using funds," Jokowi explained.
President Jokowi promised to distribute some 80 million KIH cards from mid April.
Besides the KIH, during his presidential campaign, Jokowi had also promised to issue 18 million Indonesian Smart Cards (KIP) for poor students. He has promised to start distributing the KIP cards also in mid April.
Regarding delay in the distribution of the cards, President Jokowi stressed his administration could not work until the budget was approved by lawmakers.
"Many people ask why we have not done any work such as building ports, toll roads, etc, and our answer is that bidding for all the projects are in progress," he stated.
President Jokowi asked the people to understand that there is a mechanism to run a government, so his promises cannot be fulfilled all at once.
"We have to go through some procedures to make our plans come true as the money that we have to use for projects belongs to the people," he noted.
President Jokowi and First Lady Mrs. Iriana Joko Widodo arrived in Surabaya on Friday evening to attend the commemoration of the 55th anniversary and congress of the Indonesian Islamic Student Movement.
Jokowi is set to address some two thousand participants at the event later in the day.
At 9.10 P.M., the President and entourage will return to Jakarta. He is scheduled to arrive at the Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base in Jakarta at 10.20 P.M.
The President's entourage includes Minister/State Secretary Pratikno, Head of the Agency for the Placement and Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers Nusron Wahid, acting Chief of the Presidential Secretariat Djarot Sri Sulistyo, and Presidential Military Secretary Rear Admiral Tri Wahyudi Soekarno.
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