"We must have a single vision to hand over data management to villages for the sake of village development," Iskandar affirmed here on Thursday.
The minister deems it appropriate to hand over village data control to the respective villages, as village authorities have a better understanding of their village conditions.
"Give villages the data management authority. For instance, (village data will help the) village (authority) determine (residents), who are eligible or not eligible to receive social assistance in the community because they know and face the actual conditions," the minister explained.
Iskandar emphasized that after handing over the village data management to the respective villages, the village assembly should also be convened to deliberate and regulate a legal basis and administrative procedures to govern the village.
"Village data self-management must be handed over promptly. We must not allow higher-level authority to push (the village) with their own data, as those in the village know best about the village. Moreover, the village assembly must be the legal umbrella that covers the village," he remarked.
The minister is convinced that data self-management will enhance the implementation of programs conceived by village authorities.
"I am convinced that village data self-management will (help villages) make more precise decisions and is easy to update and is accurate," the minister stated.
Villages must also be granted data self-management as a delegation to the lower administration level that will enhance the government's efforts to oversee the residents' activities.
"A village population is not too large, and it will be easier to oversee a village with, for instance, ten thousand residents, rather than one million residents (at a higher administrative level). It can also improve accuracy of poverty data because any issues can be resolved if accurate data is available," Iskandar stated.
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Translator: Ruth Intan SK, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Suharto
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