Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia’s Ministry of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions has called on Community Empowerment Officers (PSMs) to strengthen their role in empowering local communities, including by helping village entrepreneurial ecosystems building.
“Empowering communities through village entrepreneurial ecosystems is actually the main responsibility of PSMs,” Head of the Ministry’s Center for Functional Position Development, Kartini Sembel, said during a dissemination session on the PSM role held online on Monday.
PSMs are civil servant positions serving as professional personnel in village development and community empowerment.
Their responsibilities include facilitation, outreach, training, mentoring, building commitment to change, and strengthening community self-reliance.
As the governing institution for the officers, the Ministry of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions is responsible for ensuring that career development for the role is structured, consistent, and aligned with regulations, including through competency assessments.
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Kartini further stated that strengthening the village entrepreneurial ecosystem was part of the guidance provided to PSMs during the dissemination event.
She noted village development and community empowerment, particularly regarding entrepreneurship, require competent, adaptive human resources capable of driving local initiatives and self-reliance.
In line with this, Kartini said the ministry aims to use these development and dissemination sessions to encourage employer institutions to assign PSMs strictly in line with their core duty, which is community empowerment.
She expressed hope the event would give PSMs a deeper understanding while strengthening community empowerment efforts in villages.
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Translator: Tri Meilani, Raka Adji
Editor: Fransiska Ninditya
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