VILLAGE EMPOWERMENT TO ACHIEVE THE VISION OF GOLDEN INDONESIA 2045

Focused Discussion Forum Discusses Strategies and Recommendations to Optimize Village Economic Potential Jakarta, May 6, 2024 – A focus group discussion (FGD) was just held by the non-profit organization Indonesia Brain on Friday, May 3, 2024 at the Millenium Centennial Center with the mission to identify socio-economic issues in rural areas and to formulate strategic recommendations in developing the socio-economic level of villages in Indonesia, so that villages can contribute up to 4% to national economic growth. The FGD was attended directly by the Board of Trustees of Indonesia Brain, Budiman Sudjatmiko, along with experts from the government, private sector, academics, and village development practitioners.

Andrew Ryan Sinaga, a representative from the private sector, opened with a specific story about his personal experience of feeling the gap between Jakarta and areas outside Jakarta. In his statement, Andrew emphasized that urban communities are often “out of touch” with reality because they are trapped in an urban “bubble”. Therefore, he felt moved to encourage village development to reduce this gap. This was also agreed upon by other participants, that strengthening the village economy through various aspects ranging from infrastructure development and accessibility, improving the quality of human resources (HR), education and training, to the development of information technology is absolutely necessary considering the potential contribution of villages to the growth of Indonesia's Gross Domestic Product which is so large. Sukan Makmuri, one of the FGD participants, is optimistic that by focusing on gradual village development, the village economy can contribute up to 2-3% to national GDP growth in the next 5-10 years. Various issues were discussed in the discussion, including the issue of suboptimal agricultural and livestock yields due to a lack of knowledge and application of technology, as well as the lack of interconnection between demand and supply for business actors' products in the village so that village economic growth is not optimal. As conveyed directly by one of the participants, Novistiar Rustandi, that many farmers who plant in open fields experience crop failures, especially in the last two months because they are unable to adapt to extreme weather changes. The proof that he saw himself was the melon farmers in Madiun, whom he finally invited to collaborate by introducing a planting method in a simple bamboo greenhouse. Now, the crops of these farmers can survive even in extreme weather climates. Through this perspective, it can be concluded that the application of appropriate technology has great potential to be developed in villages in order to optimize agricultural yields. In fact, Budiman Sudjatmiko gave a signal of the possible need for a change in the agricultural system to farming without farmers, as has been implemented in developed countries. In addition, Rhein Mahatma added the importance of market certainty for business actors in the village. With his background in the world of technology, Rhein expressed the need for search engine optimization and demand mapping for products produced by business actors in the village so that they can read international demand and penetrate the export market. Another issue discussed was related to collaboration between the government, private sector, and community in developing the village economy. Specifically, Dasril Guntara, a representative from the banking sector, said that programs such as the ongoing Brilliant Village must be continued and ensured to run smoothly on a larger scale. Brilliant Village itself is a collaborative program between state-owned banks and BUMDes and business clusters in 5,400 villages throughout Indonesia. In closing, Budiman Sudjatmiko gave direction to the Indonesia Brain team to focus on the strategy of implementing democracy with meritocracy in order to avoid the middle-income trap and gorilla intelligence. The results of the discussion in this forum are believed to be valuable input for stakeholders in formulating more comprehensive and integrated village economic development policies and programs. With commitment and synergy from all parties, the enormous potential of the village economy is expected to be optimized to encourage more inclusive and sustainable economic growth in Indonesia. About the Village Economic Development FGD: The Village Economic Development FGD is a discussion forum that brings together various stakeholders to discuss strategic issues related to economic development in rural Indonesia. This FGD was initiated by Indonesia Brain and is held periodically to encourage synergy and collaboration in optimizing the potential of the village economy in Indonesia. For further information, please contact: James Cahyadi 081282667460 Thus this press release is compiled based on the recorded FGD transcript. This press release can be adjusted again according to the needs and target media.