Around 6,000 villages have been lifted from the status of backward villages exceeding the target of 5,000 set for five years until 2019.
"The government has set the target to lift 5,000 villages from backwardness until 2019, but we already finished the job for 6,000 villages in 2018," the minister said in the village jamboree marking the evaluation of policy in village development here on Saturday.
The success was thanks to village funds provided by the government every year in the last four years.
In 2015, villages funds totaled Rp20.7 trillion, up to Rp47 trillion in 2016, and to Rp60 trillion respectively in 2017 and 2018. In 2019, the amount is higher at Rp70 trillion.
From 2015 to 2018, around Rp187 trillion of the funds had been spent, Eko said.
"This is something extraordinary in Indonesian history. So big fund for the welfare of rural communities," he said.
A village chief attending the Jamboree said said he thanked the government for the rural funds which had greatly helped improved the social condition in his village of Kayuloe Barat, in the district of Jeneponto.
He said his village was earlier ranked among backward and isolated village but now it is alive with economic activities.
Reporting by Suriani Mappong, Albert Saragih
Editing by Sri Haryati
Reporter: Antara
Editor: Andi Abdussalam
Copyright © ANTARA 2018
