Denpasar, Bali (ANTARA) - Bali Governor Wayan Koster handed over scholarships worth Rp937.5 million (US$62,500) to several students at the secondary and college levels.

"(The students) must be grateful for the scholarship. I understand education is very important to build great human resources in Bali. Therefore I ask to allocate a budget from the Corporate Social Responsibility (of Bank BPD Bali) for educational assistance for students here," Koster said here on Sunday.

In procuring the scholarship funds, the provincial government collaborated with the Bali Regional Development Bank (Bank BPD Bali).

The scholarships were handed over to 348 junior high school, high school, vocational high school, extraordinary school, and 130 college students.

The scholarship was part of the financial inclusion program that has been implemented for the past four years.

According to the governor, the scholarship program can motivate academically outstanding students but underprivileged, to continue their education further.

He said his party also seeks more study-abroad opportunities for Bali students. So far, there have been 18 students from the island that have received free education abroad.

"We will continue this scholarship program because we have an interest in creating quality human resources," he emphasized.

Bali may not have natural resources like gold, coal, oil, and gas, but it is rich in culture, customs, traditions, arts, and local wisdom that must be preserved by the future generation, Koster said.

He emphasized the importance of being able to survive throughout the ages, so students must take a role in becoming quality human resources to build Bali in the future.

To support this, the Bali Provincial Government has created the direction for Bali's future development, called the 100 Years of Bali's New Era which will be processed into a provincial regulation through the Bali Regional Legislative Council (DPRD).

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Translator: Muliantari, Kenzu
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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