Heaptalk, Jakarta — In a bid to strengthen regional autonomy, the Association of Indonesian Regency Governments (Apkasi) held a meeting with Committee I of the Regional Representative Council (DPD RI) in Jakarta on Tuesday (4/3).
The Acting Chairman of Apkasi, Mochamad Nur Arifin, stated that the meeting focused on inventorying oversight materials related to implementing Law No. 23 of 2014 concerning Regional Governance.
“In principle, we recognize that Indonesia is divided into provincial, regency, and city governments. The primary authority lies with the President, who ministers then represent. This authority is regulated through legislation,” he explained.
He added that Law No. 23/2014 includes concurrent affairs (shared government responsibilities) that often lead to disputes over authority. “These concurrent affairs are divided into mandatory and non-mandatory matters. One of our proposals is to clarify the role of governors—whether they should act as regional heads or as representatives of the central government in the regions,” said Nur Arifin, commonly known as Cak Ipin.
According to him, this issue is crucial given the complexity of authority management at the regional level. For instance, river basin management falls under regional offices, provincial public works departments manage road authority, while branch offices and state-owned enterprises handle forestry. “Many regents have provided input to make coordination easier, streamline bureaucracy, and achieve the efficiency desired by President Prabowo,” he emphasized.
Cak Ipin also highlighted the importance of managing regional assets. He cited regional property management under Government Regulation No. 28/2020 as an area that needs review. “If at the national level, Indonesia can leap forward with Danantara due to its ability to manage large investments, then regional assets must also be utilized to achieve fiscal independence,” he said.
Apkasi has requested that the revised law include flexibility in managing regional assets to make them more dynamic while remaining prudent.
Furthermore, Cak Ipin stressed the need for strategic policies for regencies that lack strategic locations. “Not all regencies are traversed by strategic infrastructure or in strategic areas. They need attractive policies to draw investment and tourism, thereby increasing local revenue (PAD) and ensuring the delivery of basic services to the community,” he explained.
Chairman of DPD RI Committee I, Andi Sofyan Hasdam, stated that his team is drafting the concept for revising Law No. 23/2014. According to him, changes to the law have triggered recentralization of authority previously held by regency/city and provincial governments. “We have felt the impact of these changes,” he said.
Andi Sofyan revealed that, besides Apkasi, the meeting invited the Association of Indonesian City Governments (Apeksi) and the Association of Indonesian Provincial Governments (APPSI). However, only Apkasi and Apeksi attended. “We highly value input from these government associations. The welfare of regency/city and provincial communities is integral to Indonesia’s overall welfare. We cannot prosper Indonesia if the regions are not empowered,” he asserted.
He expressed gratitude to Apkasi and Apeksi for their valuable contributions. “In Committee I, there are two former governors and three former regents/mayors. This makes the discussion more synchronized. We hope this law revision truly empowers regencies and cities,” he concluded.
