Bamsoet Supports The Proposal For 10 Percent State Budget Allocation To Villages So That No Residents Are Looking For Work In The City

MPR Chairman Bambang Soesatyo or Bamsoet attended the 9th Anniversary of the Village Law at Gelora Bung Karno (GBK), Jakarta, Sunday (19/3/2023). (ANTARA/HO-Humas MPR RI)

JAKARTA - MPR Chairman Bambang Soesatyo or Bamsoet said a prosperous village would make its people flee to the city to look for work. It is feared that this condition will become a burden in urban areas. "If the village is not prosperous, then the people will run to the city to find work. In the end, they become a burden in the city,” said Bamsoet in a written statement while attending the 9th Anniversary of the Village Law at Gelora Bung Karno (GBK), Jakarta, Antara, Sunday, March 19. For this reason, Bamsoet supports 10 percent of the State Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBN) allocated for village funds. Demand for an increase in village funds of 10 percent from the APBN proposed by the All-Indonesian Village Government Association (Apdesi). Thousands of village heads, village officials, and the Village Supervisory Agency (BPD) gathered at GBK to urge 10 percent of the APBN to be allocated for village funds. According to the former Chairman of Commission III of the DPR RI for Law, Human Rights and Security, Indonesia's future is in rural areas. So that the prosperity of the village must be pursued in order to be able to compete with urban areas. “I support the steps taken by village officials who encourage the government to give the 10 percent of the state budget to villages. Because I think Indonesia's future is in rural areas. In the future, villages must be able to compete with urban areas, so that people living in villages do not run to cities and fight fate in cities," said Bamsoet. He believes that if the village funds allocated are large and can be utilized, the village will develop. So, the people do not need to try their luck to the city and create jobs. "I am sure that if the requests of village officials for village funds are increased to 10 percent from the state budget, the Village Consultative Assembly will be able to oversee the funds obtained by the village. This is necessary so that village funds are beneficial for its citizens and not enrich its village heads," said the man who also serves as Deputy Chairperson of the Pancasila Youth. According to Bamsoet, if there are jobs in the village, there is an economic turnover. Village communities, even those who have migrated in the city, will return to their origin. "Where is our number 1 nickel in the world? Where is our number 2 coal in the world? Where is our number 3 Tin in the world? Where is it in the village. Our gold is number 6 in the world? It is in the village. And gas number 16 in the world is in the village. Everything is in the village. Our question is why there are still many of our people in the village who are still alive in the poverty line," explained Bamsoet. In the 2023 State Budget, President Joko Widodo has allocated village funds of Rp. 70 trillion for 74,954 villages in 434 regencies/cities. Each village can get village funds of more than Rp. 1 billion. He also reminded that the use of village funds must be maximized for the welfare of the village community. "President Jokowi has taken great steps to allocate village funds to build villages. Therefore, all parties must work hand in hand to jointly improve the welfare of the village community," said Bamsoet. Bamsoet also appreciated President Joko Widodo's success in leading Indonesia. This includes paying more attention to all villages in Indonesia. "Without him (Jokowi), the government's attention to the village is minimal. Hopefully in the future the government's attention will be even greater to the villages," he said. Also present were the Head of the National Counterterrorism Agency Komjen Pol. Boy Rafli Amar, Chairman of the Central Leadership Council Apdesi Surta Wijaya, General Chairperson of the PPDI National Management Board Widhi Hartono, and Chairman of the Central Leadership Council ABPEDNAS Indra Utama.