Jakarta. The government recently revealed that the World Bank would back Indonesia’s village development program with a new $800 million funding pledge.

The archipelagic Indonesia classifies its villages into five groups depending on their development status.

The second-highest tier is the “advanced villages”, which, as the name suggests, have the resources to manage their socio-economic and ecological potential. At the top of the ranking are the “self-sufficient villages”, which can fully develop their potential and maintain their resilience on their own. Village Minister Yandri Susanto revealed Monday that the World Bank had agreed to provide $800 million in funding so 15,000 advanced villages could level up to self-sufficient status.

“There are currently around 23,000 advanced villages across the archipelago. We wish to upgrade 15,000 of them,” Yandri said on Monday.

The minister admitted that state budget limitations had prompted the government to partner with the World Bank. He remained upbeat that the five-year partnership would start in early 2026. The money will go into the implementation of the government’s flagship programs in villages, including driving the regions’ food self-sufficiency and green economy. Yandri said that the assistance could also translate into a better implementation of the free meal rollout in villages. 

“Because the support for the production centers deals with the ingredients needed for the meals. It will benefit the nationwide cooperatives program. In the end, it will benefit the villages’ economic growth,” Yandri said.