ACCELERATING VILLAGE FUND DISTRIBUTION STUDY TO SUPPORT THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THE 4+1 PRIORITY PROGRAM IN WEST SULAWESI
This research aims to identify the mechanisms for accelerating the disbursement of village funds to support the achievement of priority programs outlined by the provincial government of West Sulawesi. These programs primarily focus on reducing stunting, extreme poverty, school dropouts, high rates of child marriage, and inflation control in the region. Data collection methods involve interviews, and data analysis is conducted through the interpretation of subjective informant understanding, subsequently refined by the researcher.
The research findings indicate that the mechanism for accelerating the disbursement of village funds to support the 4+1 priority programs in West Sulawesi involves implementing policies to expedite the determination and revision processes of Village Head Regulations regarding Village Budgets (APBDesa) and Village Head Regulations on Direct Cash Assistance Programs (PKM BLT). Additionally, strict supervision of policy implementation is necessary, along with the continuous implementation of policies for monitoring and evaluation of APBDesa operators, the establishment of village oversight forums, mapping of villages without internet access, and integrated policies involving intensive coordination among all decision-makers.
The 4+1 priority program initiated by the West Sulawesi Government to reduce stunting, alleviate extreme poverty, decrease school dropouts, lower high rates of child marriage, and control inflation needs immediate realization. The 4+1 priority program in West Sulawesi can be achieved through the Village Fund, considering its function based on the Minister of Villages, Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration (PDTT) Regulation Number 08 of 2022, which aims to support national programs for the prevention and reduction of stunting, improvement of human resource quality, and poverty reduction, especially extreme poverty.
The West Sulawesi 4+1 program is driven by several crucial factors, such as the urgent need to reduce the poverty rate in West Sulawesi, which stands at 11.92%, higher than the national rate by 1.65% or 9.57%, based on BPS data as of September 2022. Additionally, the local government’s efforts to intervene in the stunting rate, which is at 35%, even the second-highest nationally, below East Nusa Tenggara according to the Survey of Indonesian Nutritional Status (SSGI) by the Ministry of Health in 2022.
The disbursement rate of the Village Fund shows inconsistency, based on OMSPAN data as of August 11, 2023, with an achievement percentage of only 61.09%, below the national level of 62%. This low disbursement rate can have repercussions on the delayed attainment of the priority programs of West Sulawesi Province and the national priorities, potentially hindering human development in West Sulawesi. In this regard, the West Sulawesi Provincial Government, specifically the Department of Community Empowerment and Village, can map out the issues related to the disbursement of Village Fund Phase I and BLT Quarters I and II for the years 2022 and 2023. This mapping aims to generate feasible recommendations, enabling the local government to utilize them in the subsequent year’s disbursement of the Village Fund. It also serves as a reference and guideline for stakeholders dealing with issues related to the disbursement of village funds.
