Visiting Jambi, Bima Arya Emphasises RT as Key to Success of Government Programmes

Deputy Minister of Home Affairs (Wamendagri) Bima Arya Sugiarto directly inspected the pilot location of the Happy Village Programme at RT 14, Kenali Asam Ward, Kotabaru Subdistrict, Jambi City, on Wednesday (15/4). During the visit, Bima emphasised the importance of the role of Neighbourhood Heads (Ketua RT) as the spearhead of the success of various government programmes at the lowest level. According to Bima, the effectiveness of government programmes greatly depends on the capacity and activity of Neighbourhood Heads in mobilising community participation. “The spearhead is the Neighbourhood Head. For every programme, if the Neighbourhood Head is not alert, not active, the ward won’t succeed,” said Bima. He assessed that the Happy Village Programme serves as an example of a more systematic empowerment approach through the formation of working groups (pokja) and strengthening community governance. According to him, the steps taken by the Jambi City Government not only focus on budget distribution but also on building systems and education, including more orderly financial management through banking mechanisms. “This kind of approach should be long-lasting and sustainable because the benefits are felt; I appreciate it. The Happy Village [Programme] can not only be adopted in the City/Regency [of] Jambi, but also throughout Indonesia,” he stated. Furthermore, Bima stressed the importance of data-based measurements before and after the programme runs to ensure real impacts in the community. Such evaluations are expected to serve as the basis for further development and wider replication of the programme. For information, the Happy Village Programme at RT 14 in Jambi has been realised through the construction of a 133-metre covered drainage, the procurement of community facilities such as tents, chairs, a printer, medical equipment, and the installation of five CCTV points. The programme also encourages community self-reliance, including the addition of 80 metres of drainage and various other facilities, while increasing mutual cooperation and efficiency in budget use.