Mendes Urges Regional Governments to Report Village Potentials for Economic Development

Jakarta — The Minister of Villages, Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration (Mendes PDT) Yandri Susanto urged regional governments to report village potentials in their areas to the Ministry of Villages, PDT so they can be developed as drivers of community economy. ‘So if there are village potentials please inform us. We have programmes: desa wisata (tourism villages), desa ekspor (export villages). So we will create economic activities in villages. Themed villages, export villages, tourism villages, and so on,’ Mendes Yandri said, quoted in Jakarta on Friday. He said this during an address at Silaturahim and Buka Puasa bersama the Central Leadership Council (DPP) of the Association of Indonesian District Governments (APKASI). Next, Yandri said that the Ministry of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration is committed to providing technical support so that villages in lagging regions do not operate alone in development and empowerment efforts. He hopes that the village potentials reported by local governments can be utilised through various village development programmes under Kemendes PDT. He added that developing village potentials through these programmes is expected to stimulate new economic activity in villages while increasing community welfare. Earlier, Mendes Yandri said the ministry has presented 12 Action Plans to realise village development. The implementation of these action plans, he continued, also requires mentoring and empowerment. The 12 action plans include the revitalisation of Village-Owned Enterprises (BUMDes), self-sufficiency and food security villages, self-sufficiency in energy and water villages, and downstreaming of village flagship products. Next is the development of export villages, youth pioneers of villages, and synchronisation and consolidation of ministry/institution programmes into villages. Next, the eighth action plan is digitalisation of villages and development of tourism villages. Then the ninth is increasing village investments and cooperation with national cooperatives and foreign investors. Then the tenth is strengthening oversight and governance of village development. Then the eleventh and twelfth action plans concern climate-resilient villages and the development of disaster-resilient villages and the acceleration of development in lagging regions.