Six years running Law No. 06/2014 on Villages has left a number of things considered need to be improved, particularly at the regional to village levels. Gemawan Institute also highlighted a number of things, especially related to the capacity of village governance, village democratization, as well as the economy and the governance of village natural resources.
“After 6 years of Village Law implementation, the preconditions of village development can at least be measured from two main challenges. Firstly, the role of actors and institutions at the central, regional and village levels. Secondly, the capacity of village governance, how the village democratization works, the emergence of a new economic scheme through BUMDes, as well as the governance of village natural resources, “said the Director of Gemawan, Laili Khairnur, Friday (5/4).
At policy maker level at the central level, according to her, harmony has been built among the ministries, however it still left consolidation, effectiveness and efficiency issues. Meanwhile, at the regional level, she considered that there was still a need for regional heads who were responsive and quick in making facilitative policies, and at the village level, there was a need for a populist leadership style that involves community participation.
In addition, she believes that the village government capacity was considered still weak due to the lack of facilities and services, human resources of village officials, and village heads who were oriented towards their own relatives. “Whereas village democratization should be able to run with the presence of active and empowered communities, responsive and aspirational village governments, functioning BPD supervision, participatory and representative village meetings, and welfare-oriented village policies,” she explained.
Meanwhile on the economic side, she expects that there will be a new economic development scheme through BUMDes. Through BUMDes, she expects to be able to explore the potential of local economy, to maintain, and to protect environmental resources as the asset and the source of sustainable livelihood in the village. In addition, she said, the improvement of village economy can be done by producing superior products based on natural resource potentials. “Especially now, the government has given an opportunity with the issuance of the Minister of Environment and Forestry Regulation No. 83/2016 on Social Forestry, which has become a guideline for villages to manage forest products for villages around forest areas,” she stated.
Laili said, in West Kalimantan, the development of Village Law implementation describes various dynamics. She considered that there were some which were quite advanced because the regency government was responsive in facilitating and quick in making various derivative policies of Village Law. However, in fact, most of them have not been able to move forward because the role of the regency government was less optimal.
“Unfortunately, many villages are still struggling with basic problems such as boundaries, financial management and reporting, minimal public service facilities, low community participation, access of information to derivative policy set by the regency government, including transparency in determining budget formulations received by the villages,” she said. Therefore, her party has formulated a Joint Recommendation Towards a Self-reliant and Independent Community, agreed on the last 4th – 5th April, attended by the representatives of 14 regencies/cities in West Kalimantan. Some of the recommendations, she stated, were urging the Central Government to immediately consolidate the acceleration of village development, through one ministry, urging the regional government to do capacity building activities for village officials, and ensuring the improvement of community participation and initiative in the process of village development.
The head of the department of Community and Village Empowerment (PMD) of West Kalimantan, Aminuddin, also considered that there was still a need for the strengthening of village apparatus in making village policies, which were oriented towards welfare, as well as the ability of human resources to improve the village economy. In this case, to him, the government cannot work alone, therefore there was a need for competent village assistants to assist the villages. “It is necessary to strengthen the village officials and human resources in the village who are accompanied by assistants, so that it will promote good and professional village management,” he stated. (sti)