MEDAN | INDATANEWS.COM - The North Sumatra Provincial Government is preparing the "Kampung Kreatif Sumut Berkah" (KKSB) program as a new approach to addressing development gaps in villages and urban communities. The regional strategic program under North Sumatra Governor Bobby Nasution and Deputy Governor Surya aims to promote more balanced development while improving public welfare.
The Acting Head of the North Sumatra Provincial Office for Community and Village Development, Population and Civil Registration Affairs, Muhammad Suib, said the provincial government had incorporated
KKSB into the Regional Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMD). The regional administration has also designated the program as one of its strategic regional programs.
"The Kampung Kreatif Sumut Berkah program has already been incorporated into the RPJMD and is among North Sumatra's strategic regional programs during the administration of Governor Bobby and Deputy Governor Surya," Suib said at a press conference organized by the North Sumatra Communications and Information Agency (Diskominfo) on Friday, August 28, 2026, in the lobby of the Dekranasda building at the North Sumatra Governor's Office.
Suib explained that the government launched
KKSB because development in several villages continues to face various constraints. Development has often been carried out on a piecemeal basis and therefore has yet to bring comprehensive changes to the respective areas and the economic lives of their communities.
Integrated Development Instead of Isolated Projects
According to Suib, the absence of integrated development planning has also contributed to low economic productivity among residents. At the same time, natural resources in various regions have yet to be developed optimally because communities continue to rely largely on traditional methods in utilizing them.
"The impact of this development stagnation is that people's economic productivity remains low and natural potential cannot be fully utilized, but is instead used only through traditional methods. As a result, the natural potential in these areas cannot develop further," Suib said.
Through
KKSB, the
North Sumatra Provincial Government aims to shift its development model from a piecemeal approach toward integrated area-based development. Rather than focusing on a single infrastructure project, the government intends to consider the needs and potential of an entire area.
Suib said this approach is one of the key differences between KKSB and previous development efforts, which primarily relied on village funds. The provincial government wants to ensure that government development programs have a broader impact on residents across an entire area.
"The difference from the village fund program is that development has so far been carried out on a piecemeal basis, such as building a single bridge or a few houses. That is a partial approach.
KKSB, on the other hand, is based on area-oriented development, meaning integrated development across an area. For example, an entire hamlet or a whole tourism area can be redeveloped," Suib explained.
The area-based development concept allows the government to comprehensively organize and develop a particular area. Areas with tourism, economic, agricultural, handicraft or other potential can be developed according to their respective characteristics and the needs of local communities.
The
North Sumatra Provincial Government also views residents not merely as recipients of government assistance. Through a community-driven approach, residents are expected to become an important part of determining the development direction of the creative villages.
The approach is also intended to encourage each region to further develop its local identity and creativity. Development is therefore not expected to stop at the construction of physical infrastructure, but instead create areas capable of stimulating economic activities among local residents.
"Through the
KKSB program, the governor will provide special financial assistance, which will then be transferred to regencies and municipalities and used for creative villages. These funds must not be used for other programs. The special financial assistance will amount to a minimum of Rp5 billion and a maximum of Rp50 billion per area," Suib explained.
A SOLUTION FOR VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT: Acting Head of the North Sumatra Provincial Office for Community and Village Development, Population and Civil Registration Affairs, Muhammad Suib, explains the Kampung Kreatif Sumut Berkah program as an integrated area-based development approach to overcome the piecemeal nature of village development to date. (PHOTO: Alexander AP Siahaan)
Financial Assistance of Up to Rp50 Billion
The North Sumatra Provincial Government plans to support KKSB through special financial assistance. The funds will be transferred to regencies and municipalities and subsequently used exclusively for areas selected as Kampung Kreatif Sumut Berkah sites.
Suib emphasized that the government would strictly regulate the use of the financial assistance. Regencies and municipalities therefore would not be permitted to redirect the funds to activities outside the
KKSB program.
The amount of support to be provided by the government is substantial, ranging from a minimum of Rp5 billion to a maximum of Rp50 billion per area. The scale of the funding reflects the extent of the government intervention planned to trigger comprehensive changes in the respective areas.
The government also plans to implement the financial measures in an integrated manner involving various sectors. Through a transformative approach, the
North Sumatra Provincial Government aims to turn less-developed areas into productive and competitive regions.
The program is also part of the government's efforts to reduce development disparities among villages in North Sumatra. Based on Village Ministerial Decree No. 343 of 2025, North Sumatra still has 521 highly underdeveloped villages and 707 underdeveloped villages out of a total of 5,417 villages.
These figures demonstrate the scale of the government's remaining challenge in improving
village development levels.
KKSB is therefore expected to become one of the instruments for accelerating improvements in development quality and the economic capacity of rural communities.
"This situation is a major challenge for us. We need to consider how to move highly underdeveloped and underdeveloped villages to a higher level of development and turn them into developed villages," Suib said.
SPECIAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PREPARED: Acting Head of the North Sumatra Provincial Office for Community and Village Development, Population and Civil Registration Affairs, Muhammad Suib, explains that the government will provide special financial assistance ranging from Rp5 billion to Rp50 billion for each area included in the
Kampung Kreatif Sumut Berkah program. (PHOTO: Alexander AP Siahaan)
2026 Selection, Implementation Begins in 2027
The
North Sumatra Provincial Government plans to implement the
Kampung Kreatif Sumut Berkah program starting in 2027. Various regional government agencies will be involved in the selection process and in monitoring the program.
A total of 19 regional government agencies and one academic expert will form the team responsible for reviewing submitted proposals. The team will assess proposals from regencies and municipalities while ensuring that prospective beneficiaries meet the criteria and requirements established by the government.
Each regent or mayor is expected to propose one potential recipient of
KKSB assistance to the Governor of North Sumatra. Once the proposals are received, the selection team will conduct an administrative and substantive review before carrying out field inspections of the proposed areas.
The field verification process is an important part of the selection procedure. The team will determine whether the conditions and potential described in the proposals correspond with the actual situation on the ground. The results of the verification and assessment will subsequently serve as the basis for determining which areas are eligible for assistance.
Suib said the selection process already has a clear timeline. The government will accept proposals from July 1 to September 5, 2026. The team will then review and assess all proposals received.
"We have already established a schedule. From July 1 to September 5, 2026, the selection team will receive proposals and subsequently conduct verification and assessment. On October 28, the governor will determine the villages selected to receive assistance. Program implementation will begin in January 2027 and will subsequently be monitored by the North Sumatra Provincial Government team," Suib said.
Through this approach, the
North Sumatra Provincial Government aims to ensure that
KKSB does not become merely an infrastructure program. Instead, the goal is to develop areas where infrastructure, local potential, community creativity and economic activities are interconnected.
The program is also expected to accelerate the transformation of underdeveloped villages and strengthen their economic development opportunities. The provincial government is relying on cross-sector collaboration as a key factor in ensuring that area-based development is implemented effectively and delivers direct benefits to communities.
If implementation proceeds according to plan, the program will begin in January 2027. The
North Sumatra Provincial Government team will oversee implementation to ensure that the funds provided are used for their intended purposes and generate tangible changes in the supported areas.
(IDNC)REPORTER: Ahmad Zulfikar | EDITOR: Fik Sagala