JAKARTA. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has expressed his gratitude to the House of Representatives upon hearing that the village bill would be immediately passed.

Through the bill initiated by the government, the President said, villages could be empowered for the sake of their people's interests.

 “Once the House and the government pass the village bill in the near future, I will sign it as soon as possible so that the bill can be immediately implemented,” Yudhoyono said in a press conference at the Presidential Office on Wednesday, as quoted by kompas.com.

The President further said: “This is a historical milestone for us because with this bill, we have started to think about our statehood and government frameworks and what villages should do in regard to their rights and responsibilities.”

Before giving his press statements, Yudhoyono held a meeting with Home Minister Gamawan Fauzi and several other ministers.

The President said once the village bill took effect, regional authorities -- governors, mayors and regents –- had to make sure that budgetary allocations for villages would be spent with fidelity.

Budgetary allocations for villages is one of the components regulated in the bill.

 “Definitely, village heads or lurah and other stakeholders can play a role in managing life in the village, working on their duties and responsibilities as a leader and spending the budget properly. I hope they can involve other people in doing so,” said Yudhoyono.

As reported earlier, the government will allocate development funds from the state budget for around 71,000 villages in Indonesia. The budgetary allocation for each village depends on its area and population. (ebf/The Jakarta Post)

Editor: Asnil Amri