Indonesia’s space agency LAPAN has requested a budget of 827,075,267,000 IDR (approximately US$61 million), for its aeronautical and space technology development programme, as well as for administrative support.
The US$61 million will be allocated towards two programmes: LAPAN’s Programme for Management Support and Miscellaneous Activities, and the Programme for the Development of Aeronautical and Space Technology. This, according to LAPAN, will be used to achieve Indonesia’s national priority objectives.
The budget proposal was submitted to the Ministry of Research in Technology and Higher Education (RISTEKDIKTI), which is in charge of six national technology-related institutions including LAPAN. RISTEKDIKTI has recently received a budget allocation of 6,190,641,689,000 IDR (approximately US$459 million) from Indonesia’s House of Representatives, meant to boost economic growth.
According to Head of RISTEKDIKTI Prof. H. Mohamad Nasir, the government’s plan for 2018 is titled, “Spurring Investment and Consolidating Infrastructure Development in order to Accelerate Quality Economic Growth”. To this end, the government aims to encourage better government spending and foster a more conducive climate for investment and private sector participation.
LAPAN’s role in this will be to promote regional development and stimulate the maritime sector. The budget will also be used to improve connectivity across Indonesia, and to ensure food and national security. LAPAN is also currently developing its remote sensing activities, including growing its National Data Bank for Remote Sensing (BDPJN), and its National Earth Observation System (SPBN). The agency is already actively helping the agriculture and fishing sectors, and would like to expand its reach into the energy, mineral resources, mining and tourism industries.
