Jakarta, Oct. 6 -- The World Bank has pledged US$800 million to support Indonesia's plan to upgrade 15,000 developed villages into independent ones, the Ministry of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions said on Monday.

Minister Yandri Susanto said the funding amounts to about Rp550 million (US$32,000) per village, targeting 15,000 out of the country's 23,000 developed villages.

"We will shift villages from developed to independent. There are currently 23,000 developed villages, and we aim to elevate 15,000 of them," Susanto told reporters.

He said the ministry sought the World Bank's involvement due to limited state budget resources. The Bank, he added, has expressed readiness to support the initiative, though further techn...