JAKARTA — Secretary General of the Ministry of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions (Kemendes PDT), Taufik Madjid, urged PT Bank Negara Indonesia (Persero) Tbk (BNI) to expand its strategic partnership in supporting the digitalization of Village-Owned Enterprises (BUM Desa) while simultaneously elevating the professional competencies of ministry personnel. Taufik conveyed this directive during the opening of the BNI Wondrful@Work initiative at the Operational Room of Kemendes PDT, 1st Floor Main Building, Jakarta, on Monday (October 26, 2026).

Taufik emphasized that cooperation between Kemendes PDT and BNI must evolve beyond internal banking services into a development partnership that directly impacts institutional strengthening and rural economic development.

Historically, the collaboration between both entities has supported internal financial management within the ministry, including payroll disbursement, employee performance allowance processing, and institutional activity support. Moving forward, this partnership is expected to deliver broader contributions toward executing priority village development programs.

In his remarks, Taufik specifically called on BNI to assume a pivotal role as a key enabler in accelerating the digital transformation of the BUM Desa ecosystem. This measure is deemed essential to fortify village business governance, ensuring it operates professionally, transparently, and with full access to modern financial services.

"BNI must act as a primary enabler that digitalizes BUM Desa financial governance via QRIS integration, internet banking, and agency banking services (Laku Pandai) to realize tangible accountability on the ground," Taufik stated.

According to him, transforming BUM Desa into legally incorporated business entities requires corresponding enhancements in management quality, financial accountability, and credit accessibility. Digitalization is expected to assist BUM Desa in scaling enterprise activities while bolstering confidence among partners and local communities.

During the event, awards were presented to the winners of the BUM Desa Logo and Hashtag Design Competition. Monetary prizes were awarded as an appreciation for the participants' creativity and participation in producing works that reinforce the corporate identity and brand image of BUM Desa.

The design competition serves as an initiative to foster creativity and solidify the institutional identity of BUM Desa for broader public recognition. Elevating institutional branding is expected to support BUM Desa development as competitive, professional drivers of local economies.

Beyond rural economic reinforcement, Taufik highlighted the urgency of elevating civil service competencies to navigate dynamic development challenges. The bureaucracy is required to operate adaptively, innovatively, and productively alongside diverse stakeholders.

One critical skill requiring reinforcement is public communication, particularly public speaking proficiency. This competency remains vital to ensure officials can effectively articulate government policies, educate village development officers (pendamping desa), and cultivate investor confidence regarding the economic potential of villages and disadvantaged regions.

Taufik also commended the execution of the BNI Wondrful@Work program, which provided various employee wellness and financial services, ranging from financial planning and automotive/property services to complimentary health screenings. This initiative demonstrates commitment toward civil servant welfare as an essential element in sustaining ministry productivity and service delivery quality.

Through this collaboration, Kemendes PDT ensures that civil service capacity building advances in tandem with expanding development partnerships. Human capital enhancement and technological utilization are expected to reinforce the execution of village community empowerment programs.

The strategic partnership between Kemendes PDT and BNI directly supports President Prabowo Subianto's 6th Asta Cita, focusing on building from the villages and from the grassroots for economic equity and poverty eradication.

Strengthening collaboration between the government and the corporate sector represents a crucial step toward creating highly competitive BUM Desa, expanding local economic opportunities, and sustainably elevating the welfare of rural populations.

Text: Ofa

Photo: Wey