Minister Requests Additional Rp10.6 Trillion Budget For Village Development

Jakarta, Feb 6 (Antara) - Villages, Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration Minister Marwan Jafar has sought an additional budget worth Rp10.6 trillion for the implementation of his ministry's programs in 2015. "We have asked for an additional Rp10.6 trillion. The previous budget was set at Rp6 trillion. So, the budget, if approved, will amount to Rp16.6 trillion in 2015," Marwan noted after a hearing with Commission II on financial affairs of the House of Representatives (DPR) here on Friday. The funds were needed to develop the disadvantaged villages and to empower the people in the villages, Jafar remarked. Currently, 33 thousand villages in 122 districts are categorized as disadvantaged villages. The six criteria to determine whether a village is disadvantaged are inadequate human resources, weak infrastructure, small fiscal capacity, weak accessibility, small number of families receiving electricity, and low budget of the district where the village is located. "We will cooperate with the regional governments to develop the disadvantaged villages," he added. In April, each village will receive a village fund amounting to Rp240-Rp270 million. "The amount of funds a village will receive will depend on the level of its poverty and infrastructure," he noted. The funds are expected to be used for the development of a Village-owned Business Entity (BUMDes), which aims to improve the prosperity of the villagers. "Villages will also get funds from the Regional Budget (APBD). At least, every village will get Rp750 million per annum," he stated. The minister had earlier remarked that the transmigration land may be developed into a national food barn to achieve self-reliance in food production. "The target set by President Jokowi to achieve self-reliance in food production in three years' time may be realized earlier than expected. As an agrarian nation, Indonesia has the potential and resources to support (the self-reliance in food production)," he said here on Wednesday. The transmigration land may accelerate the attainment of self-reliance in food production earlier than projected, he noted. "This way, we will no longer need to import food commodities to meet the people's needs," he remarked. The minister said he is prepared to work hard to achieve the target earlier than projected. He stated that the transmigration land located outside Java has played a significant role in fulfilling the food requirements at the regional and national levels. The transmigration lands in the provinces of Lampung, South Sumatra, and South Sulawesi have so far served as food production centers, he noted. They have not only met the food requirements in their respective regions but also provided food commodities to various areas in the most populous island of Java. "If we can make optimum use of the land potential in transmigration areas, while at the same time provide farmers with high-yielding seeds, fertilizers, technology, and counseling, I am optimistic that the transmigration areas will serve as an important national barn to achieve self-reliance in food production," he added.