"The utilization of village fund for infrastructure development is highly effective because the development is conducted through the self-management model instead of a third-party model," Iskandar noted at a special cooperation event between the ministry and the Indonesian State College of Accountancy (PKN STAN) observed through online means here on Wednesday.
The minister highlighted that funding of Rp400.1 trillion (US$26.8 billion) had been disbursed for the village fund during the 2015-2021 period.
"In 2022 alone, village fund worth Rp68 trillion (US$4.55 billion) has been allocated to a total of 74,961 villages in 434 cities and districts throughout Indonesia," he pointed out.
Iskandar remarked that 38,490 kilometers of village roads, 1,583,215 meters of bridges, and 45,517,578 meters of drainage had been constructed through the disbursement of village funds for development during the 2015-2021 period.
During the same period, the village fund had also been disbursed to boost economic activities in villages. Some 12,244 village markets, 42,317 village-owned enterprises' activity units, 7,384 boat moors, 5,371 ponds, 80,120 irrigation units, and 247,686 earth retaining walls were funded through the village fund, the minister stated.
Moreover, the village fund was disbursed to develop public facilities comprising 29,210 sports facilities, 127,423 clean water installations, 443,883 public toilets, 14,401 village maternity facilities, 66,430 early-age education activities, 42,007 healthcare facilities, and 74,289 wells, he expounded.
"Infrastructure development has been bolstered because what residents need are infrastructures," Iskandar noted.
He affirmed that the village fund's positive impact on villages accentuated President Joko Widodo's (Jokowi's) commitment to developing Indonesia from villages and the rural and border areas.
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Translator: Zubi Mahrofi, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Suharto
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