The development must not only be in terms of infrastructure, but also the quality of village human resources, Mohammad Noval, the Ministry's Director of Village Development Evaluation, said in a statement issued on Thursday.
"Excellent resources and human resources will be able to manage natural resource constrains, leading to community prosperity and enhanced village economies," he added.
Noval said that Law Number 6 of 2014 on Villages aims to elevate the prosperity of village communities while also fostering democratization within villages.
This, he noted, aligns with President Joko Widodo's third Nawacita (nine development priorities) goal, namely developing Indonesia from the periphery by strengthening regions and villages within the framework of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia.
As part of its commitment to village development, the government has been allocating village funds, serving as a source of financial support for villages. From 2015 to 2022, a total of Rp468.9 trillion (around US$30.14 billion) in village funds were disbursed by the government.
There has been a consistent increase in the disbursement of village funds year by year, Noval stated.
The allocation of village funds amounted to Rp20.67 trillion (around US$1.32 billion) in 2015 and surged to Rp68 trillion (around US$4.37 billion) in 2022.
The quantum of village funds received by each village also climbed from Rp280.3 million (around US$18,029) in 2015 to Rp907.1 million (around US$58,347) per village in 2022.
"It is hoped that the government's great attention to villages will enhance services to village communities and narrow the gap between villages and urban areas," Noval said.
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Translator: Narda Margaretha, Raka Adji
Editor: Anton Santoso
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