"I, along with my team, supported by relevant parties, will maximize supervision because supervision is the key to ensuring that every rupiah can be accounted for," Villages and Disadvantaged Regions Minister Yandri Susanto said during a working meeting with Commission V of the House of Representatives at the Parliamentary Complex, Jakarta, on Thursday.
He informed that his ministry has formed a team to map issues related to the supervision of village funds. The use of village funds in substantial amounts requires careful oversight to ensure they contribute to the welfare of village communities and do not harm the state, he said.
Efforts to maximize the strengthening of village fund supervision are also a part of the ministry's action plans for the next five years.
Furthermore, Susanto said that in the period from 2015 through 2024, the state has disbursed a total of Rp610 trillion in village funds.
"The village fund budget disbursed from 2015 to 2024 is Rp610 trillion. So, what was mentioned earlier by the chairman of Commission V, Lasarus, is correct; the supervision is still not optimal," he added.
Earlier, during the same meeting, Commission V chair Lasarus had reminded Susanto to optimize the supervision of village fund utilization.
According to him, the absence of supervisory personnel from the ministry has led to several deviations in the use of village funds due to lack of understanding among village heads on how to properly manage the funds.
"Many village heads have ended up in prison due to their lack of understanding about the use of state finances," he said.
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Translator: Kuntum Khaira Riswan
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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