REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SOLO -- President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) will continue his working visit to East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) after attending a meeting with all-Indonesia village heads in Boyolali, Central Java, on Saturday.
Based on schedule, President Jokowi will take off at Adi Somarmo Airoport at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday.
In NTT, the president will inaugurate the passenger terminal of Labuan Bajo Komodo Airport, East Nusa Tenggara. He will also inspected a 5-MW solar power plant in Oelpuah Village, Centgral Kupang District.
On Monday, the president is expected to visit Atambua to launch the inauguration of the groundbreaking development of Rotiklot Dam in the border area with Timor Leste.
He will also attend the Christmas Day celebration in Kupang before leaving for Jakarta.
In his meeting with village heads in Solo on Saturday President Jokowi told village heads that the village funds taken from the State Budget (APBN) should be used by the villages that got the allocations.
"Village funds should be used inside the villages that obtained the allocations to improve their money circulation and local economy," he said.
He said that the more people get work with the use of the village funds the better. "But this is an ideal aim which this year has not yet been reached. The more you work the more money can be distributed," the president said on Saturday.
The President also hoped that these funds can be directed to labor-intensive sectors that employ many people," the president added.
To that end, the president also appealed to village heads to exploit and maximize the potential of villages and minimize the purchase of goods from towns outside the villages to allow the funds to remain circulating inside the villages.
In addition, the president also promised to increase village funds in the state budget from this year's Rp.20,8 trillion to Rp47 trillion in 2016.
"This year is Rp20.8 trillion, the same funds will be increased to Rp47 trillion next year, an increase of more than 100 percent. However, the money should be managed well or it will adversely create a problem," said the President.
In addition, the President also suggested that the funds should be used in times of difficulties so that everyone can enjoy their benefit.
However, if it has been disbursed and allocated, the money should hopefully be directed to buying rice from local farmers and selling it to the city so that the economy will be generated, added Jokowi.
President Jokowi also expected that the use of village funds should be become more effective in the future and should not miss the target.
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