President: Strengthening Village Economy Amid Pandemic
Detiktoday.com – The current Covid-19 pandemic does not only affect urban communities. People living in rural areas have also felt the impact of the pandemic that has hit at least 215 countries in the world.
When chairing a limited meeting regarding the acceleration of the improvement of the village economy, President Joko Widodo said that this condition was a momentum to carry out reforms and plan big strategies to support the economy, one of which was in the villages.
“The pandemic we are currently facing must become a momentum to reinstall, improve, and also carry out reforms regarding major strategies in transforming the village economy,” he said via a video conference from the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, on Thursday, September 24, 2020.
For this reason, on this occasion, the President gave a number of directions to the relevant ranks. First, the Head of State requested that all program schemes related to social protection nets in villages such as the Family Hope Program, cash social assistance, village cash transfers and so on, must run effectively and on target.
Likewise with the implementation of cash for work in rural areas which must be escorted by adhering to health protocols so as to reduce the burden on rural communities who may lose their jobs in the midst of a pandemic, have difficulty finding work, or come from underprivileged circles.
“Make sure it is accepted by people in villages affected by Covid and who are in dire need,” he said.
Furthermore, President Jokowi also instructed relevant officials to consolidate ministry programs that can improve the village economy. Each ministry cannot run the program independently and must integrate itself into a complementary program scheme.
“For example, the Ministry of Villages ensures that village funds are used more productively, the Ministry of PUPR provides the basic infrastructure, the Ministry of Transportation for connectivity, the Ministry of Social Affairs regarding the handling of underprivileged residents, and the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs for the small and micro business sector,” he said.
“If it is not integrated, the results will be invisible. Therefore, everything is carried out in a solid and integrated grand strategy, “the President added.
In addition, each village must also be directed to develop its local potential in order to strengthen the village’s economic leverage. Villagers in the village must be given space for participation and creation in advancing the leading sectors of the village, such as those related to agriculture, village tourism, to industry in rural areas.
“This must be facilitated and given access to capital and technology as well as on the skills side. Also encourage inter-village cooperation so that it can enter a wider supply chain so that business actors in the village can upskilling and upgrade to class, “he said.
