P3PD Training, Director General of Village Governance Ask Villages to 'Illuminate the Candles'

TEMPO.CO, Banda Aceh - Director General of Village Governance at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Eko Prasetyanto Purnomo Putro, emphasized that villages are fundamental to a nation's progress. He stated that if the foundation is strong, the country will be strong, and vice versa if the foundation is weak.

Eko revealed this during the opening of the village officials' training program for Strengthening Village Governance and Development (P3PD) at Hotel Nanggroe, Banda Aceh, Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD), on Tuesday, October 17, 2023.

"Our founding fathers tell us that Indonesia will not be 'lit' if the light is only in Jakarta. It will light up when the candles in the villages illuminate. So, let's make the candles in the villages illuminate," he said.

The event was attended by the Secretary Directorate General of Village Governance, 

Paudah; Director of Financial Facilitation and Village Government Assets, M Lutfi; Director of Institutional and Village Cooperation, Murtono; and Assistant II to the NAD Provincial Secretary, Mawardi.

According to Eko, one way to illuminate these "candles" is by evaluating the level of village development, "Are you self-reliant, self-made, or self-sufficient?" Eko said.

Additionally, it is essential to evaluate whether these villages already have Village-Own Revenue (PADes) because PADes represents the independence of a village.

So far, the central government has transferred around Rp538.6 trillion to villages from 2015 to 2023. However, the PADes generated is approximately Rp2.6 trillion.

Therefore, there is a need for synergy and collaboration between the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Village Development and Transmigration (PDTT), Bappenas, the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs, and the Ministry of Finance. "Commitment is necessary; without it, it's impossible," he added.

During the occasion, Eko also reminded village chiefs to leave a legacy for future generations in the villages. They must make use of their positions to create positive advancements so that the villages are not abandoned by the younger generation.

The decrease in the rural population can be seen from the 1970s until now. In the 1970s, the rural population was around 80 percent, but now it is only 40 percent. "This is a phenomenon in all developed countries; many productive ages are leaving the villages," he said.

The Director of Financial Facilitation and Village Government Assets, M Lutfi, added that in the fifth week of the training, a total of 14,525 people had participated, coming from 3,632 villages in 33 provinces. "In Aceh alone, 1,024 people from 256 villages attended 32 classes," he said.

Meanwhile, Mawardi hopes that this training can truly strengthen the capacity of village officials so that villages can thrive, and development can progress.

"Village officials will be able to address challenges and complexities. Currently, the challenges are significant, and the complexities are high," he explained. (*)

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