Marwan: Delays on Disbursing Village Fund Lies in Regency/ Municipality
Minister of Villages, Underdeveloped Regions and Transmigration Marwan Jafar
Minister of Villages, Underdeveloped Regions and Transmigration Marwan Jafar said that the delays on disbursing village funds problem were not in the central government but lied in the Regencies/ Municipalities.
“The central government has disbursed village funds to all regencies/municipalities. The problem is now that there is a delay on disbursing village funds from the Regencies/Municipalities to the villages,” Marwan told reporters in the Presidential Palace, Jakarta, on Monday (7/9).
Marwan presumed that the delays on disbursing village funds occur because there are many requirements, such as the Mayors decree or regulation that need to be met by each village. “This is still the issue,” he said.
He said President Joko Widodo has instructed him to immediately expedite the disbursement of village funds. Then the solution to this problem is, according to Marwan, that his office will coordinate with the Regional Heads, Regents, or Mayors.
In addition, Marwan went on to explain that his office also revised the Village Law so that the bureaucratic rules are not complicated. “This week, we have reached a Joint Ministerial Decree (SKB), that is, Ministry of Villages, Underdeveloped Regions and Transmigration, Ministry of Home Affairs, and Ministry of Finance to revise all existing regulations, so that there is only one underlying law. This aims to facilitate the disbursement of funds as well as to make it easier for the village heads to comprehend the existing rules,” Marwan said.
He mentioned that there are three points that are listed in the SKB. First, the procedures for disbursing village fund. Second, the priority use of village funds, and third, the mechanism to facilitate the use of village funds.
There are two priority programs that have been recommended by the Government to the village heads. First, to build roads, and second to build irrigation. If the village roads and irrigation are already good, said Marwan, the third alternative is, the fund will be used for strengthening the rural economy such as to make a farm, SMEs, crafts etc. As of now, it will focus on these three points.
Our target is that the funds have all been disbursed, so the second term will follow soon. The second term is supposed to be in September, but there was a delay. Hopefully, in early October, the funds could be disbursed. For the first term, the disbursement of the village funds reached 40 percent of the Rp 20 trillion, the second was 40 percent of the Rp 20 trillion, and the remaining 20 percent for the third term. (ES) (Mh/YM-Naster/Sy)
