"I usually choose to stay in a village when visiting a region. For example, if I visit a district in North Sumatra, I won't stay in a hotel," he said after a meeting with Commission V of the House of Representatives (DPR) in Jakarta on Thursday.
Susanto explained that he enjoys spending nights in the homes of local residents or leaders when traveling outside Jakarta, as it allows him to connect with the community and hear their concerns firsthand.
"I believe that each village and region faces unique challenges," he emphasized.
He also mentioned that he plans to continue engaging directly with rural communities over the next five years.
Susanto hopes his approach will help the government develop strategic policies and programs to address the real issues faced by people in rural areas.
During his meeting with lawmakers, he presented information about the strategies his office has prepared to promote progress in villages and improve residents' livelihoods.
One of the key strategies is increasing the oversight of village funds to ensure they are used effectively.
To this end, he stated that his ministry has formed a team to address issues related to monitoring the funds.
Susanto also shared his plan to use digital tools to enhance fund monitoring, noting that relying on conventional or manual oversight for the approximately 75,000 villages in Indonesia could be challenging.
He further highlighted his ministry's goal of increasing the private sector's role in rural development, observing that village funds alone are not enough to drive progress.
"The plan is to involve 400 companies in the development of underdeveloped villages through corporate social responsibility programs," he told legislators.
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Translator: Tri M, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Anton Santoso
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