Village Funds Plunge to Rp 234 Million, Kampung Kusamba Halts Physical Development

Kampung Kusamba Village in Dawan Subdistrict, Klungkung Regency, Bali, has been compelled to cancel physical development projects funded by the 2026 Village Funds (DD). The primary cause is the reduced allocation of DD. Previously around Rp 619 million in 2025, Kampung Kusamba Village now receives only Rp 234 million this year. This small village, with a population of 861 people and 270 households, does not currently require large-scale physical development. The Village Secretary (Sekdes) of Kampung Kusamba, Samsul Bahri, stated that the lack of land is a constraint for development there. One of the planned projects is a Waste Processing Site (TPS), but it can still wait. “The reduction in DD is indeed quite noticeable in its impact. But it’s not as significant as in villages with large populations and expansive areas,” said Samsul to detikBali on Wednesday (29/4/2026). In fact, the Kampung Kusamba Village Government could allocate part of the Rp 234 million to physical development. However, with that amount, Samsul feels it would be difficult to implement it under a labour-intensive scheme. According to him, there are difficulties in carrying out work regulated under labour-intensive methods, where 50 percent of the budget is for building materials and the other 50 percent for workers’ wages. For him, that requires a substantial budget. Although halting physical construction from DD, Kampung Kusamba Village is allocating the 2026 DD to education, health, and the environment. One of them is facilitating waste sorting bags for residents. “We have done the procurement of waste bags before. And it went well. Now we are allocating it again. Of course, it will be reduced from before,” explained Samsul. Halting physical development from DD does not mean there is no construction at all. Samsul explained that there are several physical works that will still be carried out, but the funding comes from the district tax revenue-sharing funds. “With this budget, we can only allocate it to routine activities in health, education, and the environment. There is also for community social activities. For physical works like gate repairs and the like, we do them from the district tax revenue-sharing funds,” clarified Samsul. It is known that the 2026 DD allocation has experienced a drastic decline in Klungkung Regency. From previously over Rp 49.5 billion in 2025, it has become Rp 17.09 billion this year. As a result, 53 villages in four subdistricts on average receive DD below Rp 400 million. Kampung Kusamba Village is one of several villages with the smallest DD.