REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BADUNG -- President Joko Widodo here, Friday, highlighted the need to carefully plan and persistently monitor the spending of Village Fund to prevent misuse.  

"I always remind the people that the Village Fund must be managed in a well-planned and organized manner. Mentoring is offered, and it should be implemented, but there has to be persistent monitoring, control, and checks since the fund is huge," Jokowi stated after opening a national meeting of the Hanura Party.

Village Fund is a government program to fund development programs and community empowerment in villages.

Government allocation for the fund has increased, reaching Rp60 trillion in 2017.

Jokowi said, in its first year, the government had allocated Rp20 trillion for the Village Fund, and the amount has increased to Rp47 trillion in 2016 and Rp60 trillion in 2017.

"It means that within three years, we have allocated Rp127 trillion for the fund. What do we expect from this fund? Through this Village Fund, there would be circulation of money in villages. Thus, the villagers' purchasing power could increase," the president explained.

The president made the statement following the anti-graft commission's move to name some suspects in the recent alleged corruption involving the Village Fund.

The head of state hoped for a more accountable use of the fund in future. Thus, it could encourage villages to become more independent and play a greater role in national development.

On the issue of development priority in Bali, Jokowi revealed that the focus is still on the tourism sector.

"Yes, there are some problems, such as the airport, as we need to increase its capacity. During a meeting with the Bali governor recently, we have discussed some options to overcome the problem," the president added.

"After the governor made the decision, we will implement it. The focus is still on offering services to tourists," the president noted. 

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