Thursday, 03 September 2026
MEDAN | INDATANEWS.COM - The North Sumatra Provincial Government has urged district and city administrations to accelerate the updating of the Village Index. The move is considered a strategic step to increase the number of independent villages while reducing the number of underdeveloped and highly underdeveloped villages across North Sumatra.
The North Sumatra Provincial Government considers data updates an important part of accelerating village development. The Village Index provides a comprehensive picture of the condition and development of each village. This gives the government a stronger basis for designing programs and determining measures that are aligned with the needs of the community.The Acting Head of the North Sumatra Provincial Office for Community and Village Empowerment, Population and Civil Registration (PMD Dukcapil), Muhammad Suib, made the statement on Friday, August 28, 2026, during a press briefing held by the North Sumatra Provincial Communication and Informatics Office (Kominfo) at the Dekranasda Lobby at the Governor's Office, Jalan Pangeran Diponegoro No. 30, Medan.
According to Suib, development efforts cannot be limited to administrative measures. The government must also ensure that data on the actual conditions of villages are continuously updated so that development policies can effectively respond to problems on the ground.In addition to serving as a benchmark for a village's progress and independence, the Village Index is also one of the bases used in determining the allocation of village funds. Therefore, Suib urged district and city administrations, as well as village governments, to pay particular attention to updating and entering data.
"We have conveyed the situation and the picture of North Sumatra to the governor and deputy governor. The Ministry of Villages has a program called the Village Index. Therefore, we also invited the 27 regions in North Sumatra that have villages to a coordination meeting on Thursday. This is not only the responsibility of the North Sumatra Provincial PMD Office. District and city PMD offices must also assist the villages so that they can continue to develop," he said.Suib said the North Sumatra Provincial Government had invited 27 regions with villages to strengthen coordination. The goal is to establish a common understanding while encouraging district and city authorities to actively assist villages with data entry.
He said such assistance is essential because improving the development status of villages cannot be achieved solely through measures taken by the provincial government. District and city administrations, along with village governments, have a direct responsibility to ensure that the data submitted accurately reflects conditions on the ground.With complete and accurate data, the government can identify problems requiring faster action. Conversely, outdated data could result in development programs failing to correspond with the actual conditions and needs of the community.
Based on the 2025 Decree of the Minister of Villages No. 342, North Sumatra has a total of 5,417 villages. Of these, 364 are classified as independent villages, 1,296 as advanced villages, 2,529 as developing villages, 707 as underdeveloped villages, and 521 as highly underdeveloped villages.
This means that 1,228 villages remain in the "underdeveloped" and "highly underdeveloped" categories. This situation is among the priorities of the North Sumatra Provincial Government in accelerating development and improving the quality of village-level governance.At the same time, the number of independent villages has increased compared with the previous year. In 2025, North Sumatra recorded 364 independent villages, an increase of 196 from 2024. The rise indicates positive development and provides the government with a basis for further increasing the number of villages with independent status.
The North Sumatra Provincial Government views improvements in village status as more than a matter of statistical figures. The status reflects developments across various aspects of rural life, ranging from basic services and social and economic conditions to environmental protection, accessibility, and governance.Therefore, district and city administrations must ensure that every village takes data updates seriously. At the same time, continuous assistance is needed so that village governments understand the importance of data in determining the direction of development.
In his assessment, the direct involvement of village governments is crucial to the quality of the data collected. Villages are most familiar with the living conditions of their residents and the various problems emerging in their respective areas. Therefore, village governments must ensure that the data entered reflects the current situation.
The results of the data entry process are then used to classify individual villages according to their level of development. A village may be classified as independent, advanced, developing, underdeveloped, or highly underdeveloped.The classification can subsequently help the government determine the appropriate form of development intervention. Villages that are still classified as underdeveloped or highly underdeveloped require a different level of attention and assistance from villages that have already achieved advanced or independent status.
Through a data-driven approach, the government can tailor development programs to the specific needs of each region. It is not necessary to apply the same development model to every village, as each village has different problems, potential, and levels of development.Suib emphasized that accelerating village development requires a joint effort involving the provincial government, district and city administrations, and village governments. The North Sumatra Provincial PMD Dukcapil Office will continue to strengthen coordination and assistance so that villages can improve their status through measurable development processes.
These efforts are also part of the North Sumatra Provincial Government's commitment to ensuring more targeted village development. A village's progress should not only be reflected in an improvement in its status but should also be felt by residents through better services and an improved quality of life."Let us not allow villages to remain underdeveloped. Targeted development begins with accurate data. When the data is solid, policies will also be targeted, and the results can be directly felt by the village community," he said in conclusion.
By strengthening the updating of the Village Index, the North Sumatra Provincial Government hopes that district and city administrations will be able to identify problems at the village level more quickly while planning more targeted measures. The government also aims to continue increasing the number of independent villages and reducing the number of villages classified as "underdeveloped" and "highly underdeveloped." (IDNC)REPORTER: Ahmad Zulfikar | EDITOR: Fik Sagala
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