Bandung, November 30, 2024 – The Europe Today: In a bold technological initiative, the Ministry of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions (PDT) has announced plans to digitally empower all 75,265 Indonesian villages by 2025. This goal is part of a broader effort to harness village funds for technological advancements, which will play a crucial role in modernizing rural communities across the nation.
Speaking in Bandung on Saturday, Ivanovich Agusta, Head of the Village, Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration Development and Information Agency (BPI), confirmed that the ministry is targeting the transformation of every village into a “Digital Village” by next year, with village budgets allocated for the digitalization process.
“Next year, we are targeting the transformation of all villages into digital villages by relying on their village budget,” Agusta said, highlighting the significant role of local financial resources in driving this change.
The move aligns with the newly enacted Law Number 62 of 2024, which prioritizes the use of village funds for accelerating the creation of Digital Villages, as part of the 2025 State Budget. Digital Villages, also known as Smart Villages, are defined in the Decree of the Minister of Villages Number 55 of 2024, as communities that incorporate technology to improve the quality of life and development.
Agusta emphasized that village digitalization has been a key priority since the leadership of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi). “Since President Jokowi’s era, village digitalization has been a priority for him and has appeared many times in the priority of using village funds,” he remarked.
However, Agusta acknowledged that progress has been slower than expected. Over the past three years, only about 14,000 villages have utilized their funds for digitalization initiatives. “The progress is not being properly monitored. In the last three years, the number of villages utilizing their village funds for digitalization is only 14 thousand,” Agusta noted.
Looking ahead, the ministry aims to foster greater adoption of technology in village communities, improving basic services and empowering local populations through inclusive and sustainable development. The Digital Village initiative seeks to enhance human resources by utilizing technology to address village challenges and promote equitable development.
During the 2020-2024 period, Agusta reported that approximately 3,000 villages successfully developed into Smart Villages. He expressed hope that these villages would help accelerate Indonesia’s broader digitalization efforts, laying the groundwork for a nationwide transformation by 2025.
