Jakarta, Oct. 26 -- The Ministry of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions is championing the leverage of local potential as a key driver of villages' economic growth and poverty reduction.

According to Rosyid Althaf, secretary of the ministry's Human Resources Development and Community Empowerment Agency, achieving village self-reliance requires more than just infrastructure development. It also hinges on economic empowerment that can create jobs and keep money circulating locally.

"The key is empowering the local economy so that money continues to circulate within the village," Rosyid said during the Pos Depan podcast, monitored from Jakarta on Monday.

He pointed to Sekapuk Village in Gresik District, East Java, which tran...