JAKARTA: Minister of Villages, Development of Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration Abdul Halim Iskandar is optimistic that the revival of the economy in Indonesia will start from the village after the new normal or a new life order with Covid-19 is encouraged.
"One of the strong economic foundations in Indonesia is in the village," said Abdul Halim in his office, Thursday (23/07/2020).
Abdul Halim, who is familiarly called Gus Minister, said that one of the areas whose villages continued to survive in the midst of the pandemic was in Bali.
In Bali, said the Minister, there are 577 Village-Owned Enterprises (BUMDes) and 3 joint BUMDes that continue to transact during the pandemic.
“There are various business units. There are savings and loan businesses, village markets, general trade, water management, services and waste management," said Doctor Honoris Causa from UNY.
Not only that, villages in Bali have also implemented the Village Cash Intensive Work (PKTD) program and the provision of Village Fund Cash Direct Assistance (BLT) as a support in maintaining their economy.
As for the PKTD in Bali, 9,684 residents have been involved and have distributed Village Fund BLT to Beneficiary Families (KPM) as many as 72,743 KPM spread over 636 villages.
"Government policies and the commitment of village heads in Bali have become a way of economic revival in villages in Bali," said the man who was born in Jombang.
For this reason, so that all villages spread over 74,953 villages continue to maintain their economy, the central government with its policy continues to distribute BLT Village Funds until December 2020 worth IDR 300 thousand per KPM every month as a support in maintaining the economy.
"In the future, we will rise to grow the economy and highly competitive human resources with digitalization, both in BUMDes and village tourism as well as connectivity to other village economic potentials, of course, while still adhering to the adaptation of new village habits," said the former chairman of the East Java DPRD. Gat/head.
