North Sumatra Allocates IDR 67.5 Billion for 250 Houses of Worship

MEDAN | INDATANEWS.COM - The North Sumatra Provincial Government has allocated a budget of IDR 67.5 billion for 2026 to support the construction and renovation of 250 houses of worship. The provincial government considers the program one of its regional priorities, as stipulated in the North Sumatra Regional Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMD) through a grant funding mechanism.

The Head of the People's Welfare Bureau (Biro Kesejahteraan Rakyat/Biro Kesra) of the North Sumatra Provincial Secretariat, Ade Sofianita, conveyed the information through Syahrial Effendi Pane, a junior expert policy analyst at the Biro Kesra, during a press conference organized by the North Sumatra Communication and Informatics Agency. The event was held on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, in the lobby of the North Sumatra Dekranasda at the North Sumatra Governor's Office on Jalan Diponegoro in Medan.

Syahrial said the Governor of North Sumatra had previously symbolically handed over grants to representatives of houses of worship receiving assistance under the 2026 fiscal year program.

"As was carried out during the event at the Raja Inal Siregar Hall, the Governor of North Sumatra symbolically handed over assistance for 250 houses of worship in North Sumatra in 2026," Syahrial said.

For the program, the North Sumatra Provincial Government has allocated a total of IDR 67,506,202,477. As of September 9, 2026, IDR 23.029 billion, or 34.11 percent of the total available budget, had been disbursed.

Grant Budget Reaches IDR 67.5 Billion

Syahrial explained that applying for grants for houses of worship involves several procedural stages. Prospective recipients must first submit an application to the Governor of North Sumatra. Applicants may be represented by Muslim charitable organizations and mosque administrators, church boards, or the management of other houses of worship.

Once an application is received, the Biro Kesra of the Provincial Secretariat conducts a field inspection while assessing the eligibility of the application for funding. Proposals that meet the requirements are subsequently incorporated into the Regional Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBD) and discussed under the General Budget Policy and the Temporary Budget Priorities and Spending Ceilings.

Following the completion of these discussions, the government determines the grants in the respective APBD budget. This mechanism is an important part of the process to ensure that the grants provided have a proper legal and budgetary basis and comply with applicable regulations.

Syahrial also explained that the provision of grants for houses of worship is based on Minister of Home Affairs Regulation No. 77 of 2020. The government provides grants, among other purposes, for the renovation and construction of mosques. At the same time, recipients cannot receive the same form of assistance in consecutive years.

"If someone has already received assistance in 2026, they cannot receive it again in 2027. The next opportunity would be in 2028. Applications for assistance must be submitted no later than April 31 of the current year to receive funding in the following year," Syahrial explained.

The regulation requires prospective recipients to observe the application deadlines. The government uses the application and field inspection process as part of the basis for determining recipients for the following fiscal year.

Grant Amount Depends on Need

The North Sumatra Provincial Government does not set a uniform grant amount for all houses of worship. The amount of assistance is adjusted to the specific needs for construction or renovation and determined based on the results of the field inspection.

For the construction of bathrooms, for example, grants range from approximately IDR 20 million to IDR 30 million. For major structural work on a mosque, however, the assistance can be significantly higher, ranging from IDR 500 million to IDR 1 billion.

According to Syahrial, the physical condition of the building and its specific development needs are taken into account when determining the amount of assistance. The government first assesses the situation on site before determining the amount of support for each recipient.

In addition to physical needs, houses of worship applying for grants must meet certain construction requirements. Prospective recipients must at least be able to demonstrate that construction has already begun on the property in question.

"For a house of worship that we support, there must be at least a foundation or construction progress of 10 percent to demonstrate that a house of worship is actually being built at that location. If it is merely vacant land, we cannot provide assistance," Syahrial said.

This requirement is one of the bases for the field inspection and eligibility assessment conducted by the Biro Kesra. It is intended to ensure that government assistance reaches houses of worship where construction has already begun and where there is a genuine need for support to continue construction or carry out renovations.

Recipients Required to Account for Fund Usage

After receiving the grants, the management of the houses of worship is required to provide an account of how the funds are used. The Biro Kesra of the Provincial Secretariat requires recipients to submit a report on the progress and implementation of the construction work no later than December 31 of the current year.

The government uses these reports to ensure that the funds are used in accordance with their designated purpose. Reporting is also part of the oversight mechanism for grant distribution, ensuring that regional budget funds actually support the construction or renovation of houses of worship.

The Biro Kesra of the North Sumatra Provincial Secretariat said assistance for houses of worship across the province would continue to be disbursed in accordance with applicable regulations and taking into account the region's financial capacity.

Syahrial said the government would continue to provide opportunities for people who need assistance to build houses of worship. However, every application must undergo the prescribed field inspection process and be adjusted to the financial capacity of the provincial government.

"As long as people submit applications for assistance, we will conduct a field inspection and at the same time adjust the assistance to North Sumatra's financial capacity," Syahrial said.

With a budget of IDR 67.5 billion allocated for 2026, the North Sumatra Provincial Government aims to support the construction and renovation of a total of 250 houses of worship. The government also emphasizes the importance of meeting all requirements, properly using the funds, and submitting reports on time as essential components of the grant program's implementation. (IDNC)

REPORTER: Ahmad Zulfikar | EDITOR: Fik Sagala

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