VILLAGE FUNDS FREE PEOPLE FROM SHACKLES OF POVERTY

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Nov 5 (Antara) - One of the government programs considered successful is the village fund, which is aimed at financing  labor-intensive program in villages, to help reduce poverty and improve the welfare of villagers across the country.         The village fund program has been launched over the past four years. Since 2015, the government has channeled some Rp187 trillion in funds for village development. The program has been successful in reducing the poverty rate in the country.          According to President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), thanks to the village fund program, the poverty rate in villages had declined two folds compared to that in cities, owing to the allocation of the funds for development in villages.          "Some 1.2 million villagers have been freed from the shackles of poverty," Jokowi remarked, while addressing a function on highlighting the need to prioritize the utilization of the 2019 village fund and evaluation of development policy and empowerment of villagers, in Banten Province.         The success of the village fund program is also lauded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) President Gilbert Houngbo. In a press statement, Houngbo noted that the village fund program not only brought about a transformation to benefit all parties in village areas but is also a strategy in line with the IFAD program to develop villages through the farming sector.

GOVT HAS DISBURSED 95 PCT OF VILLAGE FUNDS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Dec 19 (Antara) - In Indonesia, based on data at the Ministry of Home Affairs, there were 81,309 villages in 2013, consisting of 72,944 rural villages and 8,309 urban villages.         Of these villages, some 32 thousand were still categorized as least developed. For this purpose, the government has set aside a village fund to help advance village development.         Till December 16, for example, the government has channeled Rp19.764 trillion as village funds to 308 districts/municipalities, or about 95 percent of the disbursement target of Rp20.76 trillion this year.         "The Ministry of Finance has till December 16 transferred 95 percent, or Rp19.76 trillion, of the funds from the state treasury account to the regional treasure account," Budiarso Teguh, the director general for financial balance affairs of the Ministry of Finance, said in Jakarta Thursday (December 17).

GOVERNMENT EXPECTED TO REJECT ASPIRATION FUNDS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 27 (Antara) - The House of Representatives (DPR) appears prepared to go ahead with plan to propose an Electoral Region Development Fund (UP2DP) worth Rp11.2 trillion, despite opposition from many circles.         The plenary session of the DPR on Tuesday (June 23) agreed on moving forward with UP2DP, despite the fact that three factions of the House rejected it. The aspiration funds will soon be deliberated by the House Budgetary Body, which will discuss the 2016 Draft State Budget.          Earlier, Chairman of the House of the Budgetary Committee Ahmad Noor Supit noted that the DPR was planning to allocate Rp11.2 trillion to all legislators as aspiration funds for regional development in their respective constituencies. The funds will be set aside in the Draft 2016 State Budget.          Each of the 560 members of the House will receive Rp20 billion as aspiration funds, which will be channeled to the regional governments for use in projects based on the development agenda of the constituencies.          DPR Deputy Speaker Fahri Hamzah remarked that the aspiration funds scheme was proposed as an implementation of the House's constitutional task and oath of office, which was regulated by the law.

HOUSE'S "PORK BARREL" SCHEME SPARKS CONTROVERSY

By Andi Abdussalam
Jakarta, June 19 (Antara) - The House of Representatives' (DPR's) constituency development funds program, popularly called the aspiration funds, has ignited a controversy since the public views it as a pork barrel that could lead to dissipation and corruption.         "It is better (for the House) to stop deliberating on it, let alone disbursing the money, as it could lead to wastage of funds and create new corruption, collusion, and nepotism practices,"  Lely Arrianie, the chief of the Jayabaya University's Post-Graduate Program on Communications, stated on Wednesday.         Earlier, Chairman of the House of the Budgetary Committee Ahmad Noor Supit noted that the DPR was planning to allocate Rp11.2 trillion to all legislators as aspiration funds for regional development in their respective constituencies. The funds will be set aside in the Draft 2016 State Budget.         Each of the 560 members of the House will receive Rp20 billion as aspiration funds and will be channeled to the regional governments for use in projects based on the development agenda of the constituencies.