30 Regencies in Indonesia Remain Lagging; Ministry of Villages Calls for Collaboration with Presidential Staff Office

The Indonesian Minister of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions, Yandri Susanto, attended a coordination meeting regarding the development of frontier, outermost, and least developed (3T) regions at the Presidential Staff Office (KSP). The meeting was led by the Head of the KSP, Dudung Abdurachman, and attended by the Deputy Minister of National Development Planning, Febrian Alphyanto Ruddyar.

Yandri expressed gratitude for the opportunity to present the core issues facing 3T regions. He noted that 30 regencies are classified as disadvantaged areas, where approximately 5,000 villages still lack electricity, mobile signals, adequate healthcare and education facilities, and clean water access.

“This initiative is necessary to support the sixth ‘Asta Cita’ objective: ‘Building from the Villages and from the Bottom for Economic Equality and Poverty Eradication’,” Yandri stated in a written release on Monday (8/6/2026).

He emphasised that resolving these issues requires collaboration between all parties, including donor nations, the private sector, and State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN), to ensure that the challenges in 3T regions are addressed during the first term of President Prabowo Subianto’s administration. These 30 regencies are the largest contributors to the number of disadvantaged and highly disadvantaged villages, which total 9,300. Approximately 6,000 of these villages are located within these 30 regencies, accounting for nearly 75% of the total.

KSP Head Dudung Abdurachman stated that the coordination meeting aims to provide direct insight into the real conditions within these 30 regencies. He noted that as Indonesia approaches 80 years of independence, strategic steps must be taken to resolve issues regarding education, health, and infrastructure. “These are the problems we must solve, and I will report them to the President,” said Dudress.

Regional heads will also be given the opportunity to meet President Prabowo to present reports that will serve as direct input for his administration. The meeting was also attended by high-ranking officials from the Presidential Staff Office and representatives of regents from the 3T regions.