This emphasis reflects demographic data showing that villages are home to 200 million people, representing 73 percent of Indonesia's population.
Susanto remarked here on Wednesday that by paying more attention to villages, Indonesia can complete its "homework" faster, such as the food self-sufficiency program which is a priority program of President Prabowo Subianto.
To this end, he is also committed to channeling his ministry's budget optimally to meet the needs for village development.
He noted that the village funds budget in 2024 reached Rp70 trillion (around US$4.41 billion), while for 2025, it increased to Rp71 trillion (around US$4.47 billion).
Meanwhile, he remarked that the village funds budget in the 2014–2015 period reached Rp609 trillion (around US$38.4 billion).
"At least 20 percent (of the budget) will be focused on food security, namely for food self-sufficiency," he noted.
He also intends to focus on supporting villages to develop in accordance with their potential to enable Indonesia to meet its food needs.
To achieve the goals faster, he underscored the need for collaboration between ministries.
The Ministry of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions and the Ministry of Agriculture have forged cooperation to achieve food self-sufficiency, synergize development programs, and empower village communities.
Apart from that, the cooperation includes capacity building of village communities, developing agricultural production facilities and infrastructure, strengthening and developing village economic institutions, conducting data and information exchange, and forging other forms of collaboration.
Achieving food self-sufficiency is one of the goals pursued by the Indonesian government under the presidency of Prabowo Subianto.
Earlier, while delivering his inaugural address here on Sunday (October 20), the president expressed optimism that Indonesia would achieve food self-sufficiency in four to five years.
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Translator: Chairul Rohman, Raka Adji
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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