Social Affairs and Village Ministers Attend NTB Musrenbang, Appreciate Empowering Villages Programme

Mataram (ANTARA) - Minister of Social Affairs (Mensos) Saifullah Yusuf and Minister of Villages and Underdeveloped Regions (Mendes PDT) Yandri Susanto have expressed appreciation for the development direction in West Nusa Tenggara, including the Empowering Villages Programme. Mensos Saifullah Yusuf emphasised that the quality of planning is the primary determinant of development success. According to him, thorough planning can contribute up to 50% to the success rate of programmes. “Development’s success is 50% determined by planning. If the planning is good, we have at least secured 50% of the success. Many people do not realise that planning is actually a very strategic matter,” he stated after the Provincial Government of NTB’s Musyawarah Perencanaan Pembangunan (Musrenbang) in Mataram on Thursday. Mensos assured that programmes between regions and the central government are connected, integrated, collaborative, and collective, ensuring real and visible impacts among the people. This is because one of the key tasks between the centre and regions is togetherness and collaboration. He reminded that planning should not be viewed merely as an administrative aspect, but as a strategic foundation that determines the direction and effectiveness of development policies. Therefore, he said, every programme must be formulated in a measured, directed manner, and based on the real needs of the community. In agreement, Mendes PDT Yandri Susanto asserted that villages are the key point in determining the success of regional development. “The key to whether a region advances or not lies in the villages. All development indicators start from there,” he stated. Mendes Yandri appreciated the Empowering Villages Programme initiated by the NTB Provincial Government. The programme is seen as aligned with the national village development agenda, which encourages strengthening of economies based on local potentials. According to him, strengthening villages not only impacts the improvement of community economies but also bolsters national food security and supply chains. “All basic needs of the community can essentially be met from the villages. If this runs well, the impact is directly felt by the community,” he said. Both ministers agreed that policy integration and cross-government collaboration are key factors in creating equitable and sustainable development. The 2026 NTB Musrenbang serves as a strategic momentum to unite development visions between the central and regional governments, while ensuring that every designed programme is not only well implemented but also delivers direct benefits to the community.