Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Minister for Villages, Development of Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration Eko Putro Sandjojo urged village heads to not misuse village funds.

"I remind all stakeholders of the village and village funds to not carelessly manage the funds, as the government will monitor closely," he stated here on Friday.

In addition to law enforcement officers and the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), the government had formed several task forces to monitor the management of village funds. Moreover, the government has also involved non-governmental organizations, communities, and the media.

"Any misappropriation of village funds will now be easily known. Hence, be careful in managing village funds," he noted.

Sandjojo deeply regretted the incident of bribery related to the misuse of village funds in Pamekasan, East Java Province.

"Corruption must be dealt with firmly, so it will have a deterrent effect on others," Sandjojo remarked.

He emphasized that corruption is a crime that must be fought together. He also expected the public to not be afraid to report any signs of misuse of village funds to the Village Fund Task Force at the call center number: 1500040. The government will follow up on each report.

"The monitoring of village funds will be more effective with the help of community supervision," he pointed out.

The incident in Pamekasan came to light after law enforcement officers received a tip-off on the misuse of village funds.

"I laud the KPK that has handled this case quickly, so there is no lapse. This incident can serve as a lesson for other village stakeholders, so they will not abuse village funds," he added.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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