Just a year after the government implemented regulations regarding the provision of village funds, the number of Village-Owned Enterprises (BUMDes) has jumped sharply. Based on data from the Ministry of Villages, Development of Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration (Kemendes PDTT), at the end of 2014, there were only around 4 thousand BUMDes. However, data as of January 2016 shows that the number of BUMDes in the country has reached more than 12 thousand, or has increased threefold.

Even though he appreciated this achievement, PATTIRO Executive Director Sad Dian Utomo assessed that the Ministry of Villages PDDT was still not fully transparent with the BUMDes data it had. Sad Dian emphasized that the Ministry of Villages PDTT should convey information regarding BUMDes in more detail, including their functioning status.

“The PDTT Village Ministry should provide detailed information on how many BUMDes have just been formed and how many are already functioning well. If it is functioning and running well, it will also be explained to what extent BUMDes has played a role. How many are able to provide credit or savings and loans for their citizens’ businesses, and how many BUMDes are able to protect their communities from the threat of poverty? “Also mention how many BUMDes have been able to create new economic sources for the village,” said Sad Dian.

Sad Dian said that transparency regarding the formation and functioning of BUMDes is very important. One of the reasons is so that the PDTT Village Ministry does not give the impression of giving empty hopes to village communities.

The existence and functioning of BUMDes, explained Sad Dian, provides a great opportunity for village communities to improve their economic conditions. However, it takes a long process and time before BUMDes can really change the economic conditions of the village because there are stages that must be passed. Unfortunately, there are still many village people who do not understand this.

Sad Dian said, if the functioning status of BUMDes is not clear, village communities will assume that they have a big opportunity to improve economic conditions because their village already has a BUMDes. “Even though it is not certain that the BUMDes that have been formed will function well. “So, without detailed information regarding BUMDes, the Ministry of Villages PDTT is worried that it will only provide empty entertainment to the public,” he added.

Transparency of the development conditions of BUMDes honestly will also have a positive impact on the image of the PDTT Ministry of Villages and the villages themselves. Sad Dian said that the high rate of BUMDes formation which is not balanced with an increase in the welfare of village communities will provoke public questions regarding the effectiveness of village fund management. “In this position, the PDTT Ministry of Villages will be the one that will be sued by the public because they are the party responsible for assisting in the utilization of village funds,” concluded Sad Dian.

Apart from that, according to Sad Dian, disclosing information regarding the status of BUMDes can prevent the PDTT Ministry from falling into the trap of imaging and one-sided claims. “If you only mention 12 thousand without explaining the status, the worry is that Kemedes PDTT will be called playing unilateral claims,” concluded Sad Dian.

This article was published on tribunnews.com with the title Kemendes PDTT Diminta Transparan Soal BUMDes.