JAKARTA — The Ministry of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions alongside the Executive Board of Al-Khairiyah (Pengendalian/Pengurus Besar Al-Khairiyah) agreed on the entire substantive content of the Draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) concerning village development synergy through a virtual Zoom meeting on Wednesday (October 14, 2026). This consensus was reached to prepare for the official ceremonial signing scheduled to take place in Cilegon, Banten.

According to meeting records, the session—facilitated by the Bureau of Planning and Cooperation—focused on reviewing the editorial wording of the Draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and ensuring readiness for the partnership execution. During the discussions, PB Al-Khairiyah outlined its institutional structure and synergistic potential, which encompasses a broad network of universities, institutes, foundations, and target fostered villages (desa binaan). This collaboration is structured to align with stages of planning, execution, alongside monitoring and evaluation.

The Legal Bureau, leading the editorial review, agreed that the second party's official designation will formally utilize the phrasing Perkumpulan Al-Khairiyah in accordance with its applicable legal entity status. Furthermore, the parties agreed to maintain the MoU title's focus on the synergy of village development programs and community empowerment. The section regarding institutional strengthening was streamlined to be more specific, explicitly directing the Ministry of Villages' focus toward village economic institutions rather than general community organizations.

Pursuant to the meeting consensus, the scope of cooperation encompasses four main points:

1. Exchange and utilization of data and information;

2. Capacity building for human resources and the empowerment of village communities or disadvantaged regions;

3. Institutional strengthening of village economic entities; and

4. Other activities mutually agreed upon by the parties.

5. The scope covering the development of disadvantaged regions remains accommodated under the capacity building clause and the designation of disadvantaged region target loci.

Regarding technical regulations, the MoU tenure is established for three years, governed by a financing scheme where expenses are borne by each party's respective budget in compliance with statutory regulations. Both parties also agreed that joint monitoring and evaluation of the partnership's execution will be conducted at least once a year.

As a follow-up step, PB Al-Khairiyah is scheduled to transmit its legal entity Decree Number (Surat Keputusan) and complete the second party details. Meanwhile, the Bureau of Planning and Cooperation will forward an official memorandum to the Legal Bureau for final legal drafting. All final draft documentation is targeted for completion no later than Thursday (October 15, 2026) at 10:00 WIB, followed by the issuance of a Cooperation Agreement (Perjanjian Kerja Sama / PKS) facilitation letter by relevant technical units to support the formal signing ceremony on Friday (October 16, 2026).

Text and photo: Muhammad Ainul Yaqin