Jakarta (ANTARA) - Transmigration Minister Muhammad Iftitah Sulaiman deployed two thousand participants of the Patriot Expedition Team (TEP) across 154 transmigration areas.
"We are sending them across all transmigration areas. There are 153 transmigration areas, and we will have an additional of one area. It is still awaiting revisions to the Presidential Regulation," he explained during the briefing and the send-off in Jakarta on Sunday.
During the briefing, the government outlined materials to the TEP team on issues related to the President's Asta Cita programs, such as energy and food self-sufficiency, healthcare, defense and security, education, and investment.
The briefings were held from August 24-25, expected to bring concrete results in research and mapping economic, technological, and other scientific potential, Sulaiman noted.
According to him, all TEP members must be capable to provide integrated solutions to address various issues in transmigration areas.
For example, when they encounter areas with communities frequently engage in conflict between tribes or hamlets. Naturally, a way to bring peace and tranquility to these areas is by utilizing social sciences, which can contribute to positive outcomes.
The TEP program budget allocation is set at Rp176 billion (US$10 million) for this year.
Sulaiman said that in the coming year, the Patriot program may receive 50 percent of the Ministry's total budget.
"The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology had opened talk for closer cooperation and collaboration, with additional funding to be allocated for research," he explained.
His party will also provide postgraduate scholarship opportunities for young people participating in the TEP program, allowing them to continue their studies in transmigration areas.
Two criteria for receiving the Patriot Scholarship are passing an exam administered by a State University (PTN) and possessing a patriotic character.
"They truly have a desire to participate in developing this country. They are not from big cities; rather coming from remote corners of the country with a potential economic development, thus creating new economic growth areas," he said.
TEP will conduct various activities until December 2025 and continue them in subsequent years, with continuous improvements based on periodic evaluations.
