However, downward pressures on distributor resale prices havent disappeared completely, particularly in some import-sensitive regions, according to market observers. On the West Coast, for example, one or two large service centers reportedly have tied up the largest share of South Korean beam imports in the first quarter at ex-dock costs estimated in a range of $740 to $750 per ton ($37 to $37.50 per cwt) compared with estimated delivered costs for domestic beams at $870 to $890 per ton ($43.50 to $44.50 per cwt). Competitors grumble that, even though these service centers also are buying domestic beams, low-priced imports allow them to bring the blended cost of their inventories down below their rivals and establish a resale price level where others struggle to turn a profit. Investment in education has increased in recent years; the proportion of the overall budget allocated to education has been increased by one percentage point every year since 1998. According to a Ministry of Education program, the government will set up an educational finance system in line with the public finance system, strengthen the responsibility of governments at all levels in educational investment, and ensure that their financial allocation for educational expenditure grows faster than their regular revenue. The program also set out the government's aim that educational investment should account for four percent of GDP in a relatively short period of time.