NTB Governor Inspects 'Desa Berdaya' Aid in Mekarsari, Pledges Road Repairs
West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Governor Lalu Muhamad Iqbal visited the remote corners of Mekarsari Village, Gunungsari District, West Lombok, to directly inspect the area. Iqbal also took the time to engage in dialogue with local residents while ensuring the ‘Desa Berdaya’ (Empowered Village) programme is precisely on target.
“Through visits like this, we learn the real conditions on the ground. Consequently, there are always additional programmes we must implement to ensure the entire economic empowerment ecosystem we envision can be completed,” Iqbal stated on Thursday (25/6/2026).
Iqbal explained that the Desa Berdaya programme in Mekarsari Village targets 115 heads of families (KK) classified as extremely poor. Each family receives business capital assistance amounting to Rp 7 million. Additionally, 19 other families received home renovation assistance. In total, the beneficiaries of the Desa Berdaya programme in the village reached 134 families.
One of the homes Iqbal visited was the residence of Maas and Maskiah. This married couple received both home renovation assistance and business capital. “We have gone down to the field and the programme is already running. One of them is Desa Berdaya, where 115 families directly receive capital support and mentoring so that every family has a source of income,” Iqbal added.
During the occasion, Iqbal also highlighted the condition of the road infrastructure that residents in Mekarsari Village had complained about. He pledged to oversee the repair of the main road leading to the village. “The road in Mekarsari, especially towards Malaka Hamlet, is indeed one of the main obstacles. Therefore, one of the interventions we need to resolve is road access,” Iqbal said.
He assessed that the road repairs are urgent because they will boost the residents’ economy as well as students’ access to schools. The NTB Provincial Government, he noted, will collaborate with various parties to repair the road infrastructure in the village. “We will seek possible funding sources so that this road issue can be addressed immediately,” Iqbal added.
Meanwhile, Mekarsari Village Head Faizul Bayani revealed that there are three main road points leading to residential areas that require urgent repairs. This includes a 950-metre main road and a 1.5-kilometre access road into the residents’ settlement. “Regarding road repairs, it is not only in Malaka Hamlet, but there are three points in total,” Faizul stated.
Faizul requested that the regional and central governments find the best solution for the road infrastructure conditions in the village. According to him, the village government cannot do much due to budget constraints, especially with the policy of cutting the Village Fund. “With this Village Fund cut, we cannot act. The existence of this Village Fund cut means we cannot move,” Faizul concluded.