"We say that the villages have very extraordinary development; life in the villages is much more comfortable, more prosperous, and happier," Iskandar remarked in Bantul district, Yogyakarta, on Wednesday.
He made the statement after attending the Village SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) Data Reading and Utilization event in Munthuk village, Dlingo sub-district, Bantul, organized by the ministry and the Bantul administration.
Currently, life in the villages is happier than in the cities, so the village community is encouraged to stay in the village to jointly realize development and become more prosperous, Iskandar said.
"Therefore, do not be easily tempted by promises or show-offs that cannot be realized; the point is—do not be affected by the invitation to (work/live) in the city," he added.
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The minister said that the development of villages can be conducted by the village administration and its people by utilizing data on village SDGs, which map out micro problems and village potentials.
Therefore, for supporting the use of data, the ministry held an event in Munthuk and Segoroyoso villages, considering that the SDG data in both villages had been completed.
"Because the data will be useless if it cannot be read, then it certainly cannot be used," Iskandar said.
According to the minister, the data on village SDGs can help in development planning, supervising the implementation, and become a benchmark for successful village performance.
For instance, he said, village SDG data can help map out poverty reduction targets.
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Translator: Hery S, Kenzu T
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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