Comparative Analysis of Regional Economic Growth Before and After the Village Fund Program (Case Study of the Buffer Zone of Kerinci Seblat National Park Kerinci, Indonesia)

The availability of productive land is one of the important factors of production to encourage regional economic growth. Kerinci in Jambi Province of Indonesia is one of the regions that experienced this problem, because of the total area of Kerinci Regency covering an area of 3328.14 km², there is 59.8 percent of Kerinci Seblat National Park area which must be protected and 40.1 percent that can be managed as productive land and residential areas. Planning, strategies and optimizing the management of village funds are a form of solution to resolve these problems. Good management of village funds is expected to be able to encourage an increase in village income and regional economic growth. This paper also examines the comparative regional income, GDRP growth rate, Human Development Index, Total Poor Population and Open Unemployment Rate, especially in the buffer areas of Kerinci Seblat National Park in Kerinci, Jambi Province before and after the village fund program.