Central Mamuju Proposes New Land for 'Sekolah Rakyat' Project
The Ministry of Social Affairs is following up on a proposal from the Central Mamuju Regency Government in West Sulawesi regarding a change in the construction site for a Sekolah Rakyat (People’s School). The proposal was submitted because the initial location required substantial land maturation costs.
Vice Minister of Social Affairs Agus Jabo Priyono stated that all administrative requirements, particularly land certification, must be completed promptly so that a follow-up survey by the Ministry of Public Works can be conducted. “If all the requirements are complete, please submit them immediately so the process can proceed. This is a priority programme of the President, so the administration must be accelerated,” he said in a written statement on Thursday (23/7/2026).
Agus made the remarks while receiving an audience with Central Mamuju Regent Arsal Aras, Head of Social Protection and Security at the Central Mamuju Social Service Yasser Ramli, and Head of the Paniai Regency Social Service Sem Nawipa along with Paniai Regency SIKS-NG Verifier Gerson Nawipa at the Ministry of Social Affairs office on Wednesday (22/7).
During the meeting, Central Mamuju Regent Arsal Aras presented the proposed replacement location in Mahahe Village, Tobadak District, covering approximately 8 hectares in a single contiguous area. The land is a local government asset currently undergoing certification at the National Land Agency (BPN). He explained that the land was previously the result of a land swap between the Mahahe Village Government and a palm oil plantation company. Following an agreement, the company returned the land to the village, which then handed it over to the Central Mamuju Regency Government for use as the Sekolah Rakyat construction site. “The company has returned the land to the village, and the village has handed it over to the local government. The certification process is currently underway at BPN, and we hope it can be expedited,” he explained.
Documents submitted by the local government indicate that the site meets the minimum land area requirement for the construction of a Sekolah Rakyat, which is more than five hectares in a single area. Furthermore, the location is supported by road access, an electricity network, and a water source, and is deemed suitable for the development of educational facilities.
Meanwhile, representatives from the Paniai Regency Government submitted several inputs regarding the Family Hope Programme (PKH), the Sembako/BPNT Programme, and the updating of social assistance beneficiary data. The local government noted that there are still people in need of assistance who are not yet covered by the data, necessitating updates based on field verification results.
Head of the Paniai Regency Social Service Sem Nawipa said that geographical conditions pose a challenge to the data collection process. “Paniai Regency is the oldest regency, with 24 districts and 216 villages. There are still many people eligible for social assistance, so we hope the data we have verified can serve as material for updating to ensure aid is more targeted,” Sem said.
In addition to data updates, the Paniai Regency Government also requested support for the construction of decent housing for underprivileged communities. According to Sem, the region’s limited fiscal capacity means these needs cannot yet be optimally met. “Our APBD and Special Autonomy funds are not yet able to cover all the decent housing needs of the community. Therefore, we are bringing a proposal and hope for support from the central government,” he stated.
Responding to this, Agus explained that proposals for decent housing construction now fall under the authority of the Ministry of Housing and Residential Areas (PKP), so the local government can submit proposals to that ministry. For proposals related to PKH, the Sembako Programme, and PBI-JK, all data is requested to be submitted through the DTSEN updating mechanism so it can be verified by the Social Welfare Data and Information Centre.
Based on DTSEN data for the second quarter of 2026, Paniai Regency has 32,155 families or 131,436 individuals. Of this total, there are 1,326 PKH beneficiary families, 13,461 Sembako Programme beneficiary families, and 76,918 PBI-JK recipients. “Please submit all data proposals through the applicable mechanism so they can be verified. With increasingly accurate data, the distribution of social assistance will be more targeted,” Agus concluded.