"This is important so that it (the plan) can be used as a guide to determine the program interventions that will be implemented in villages," he said, according to a statement issued by the ministry here on Saturday.
During a meeting at the ministry's office on Friday, he also asked IAI members to contribute to the development of Indonesian villages, which number 75,265.
"I invite IAI to help build villages because building villages means building Indonesia," he said.
The ministry needs to collaborate with other parties to build villages due to their large number, he added.
Currently, he informed, out of the total 75,265 villages in Indonesia, around 14 percent or more than 10 thousand villages are classified as "very underdeveloped."
Then, around three thousand villages do not have access to electricity, and around 22 thousand villages do not have access to the Internet.
According to Patria, there are three major problems in villages. First, village human resources are not yet adequate, both in terms of quality and quantity. Second, there is a lack of facilities and infrastructure in villages. The third problem concerns funding and capital.
"If these three problems are solved, then the problems in Indonesian villages can be solved," he said.
To boost village development, he added, the ministry is focusing on empowerment, assistance, and supervision.
In addition, it is collaborating with various parties, including other ministries and government agencies, universities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), media, and community organizations to build villages.
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Translator: Tri, Kenzu
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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