Deputy Home Minister Bima Arya Urges Refinement of Archipelagic Regions Bill

Deputy Home Minister Bima Arya Sugiarto has stressed that the drafting of the Archipelagic Regions Bill must be carried out meticulously through harmonisation with various existing regulations. He stated this step is crucial to ensure the new regulation genuinely strengthens the development of archipelagic areas without causing overlapping authorities or conflicting legal norms. “The government considers it necessary to align the academic paper submitted by the Regional Representative Council (DPD) to avoid regulatory inconsistencies that contradict international law principles and the constitutional system of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia,” he said in a press release on Thursday (26/6/2026). Bima made the remarks during a working meeting of the Special Committee for the Archipelagic Regions Bill with the Government and DPD at the Parliament Complex in Senayan, Jakarta. He explained that the bill’s deliberation cannot be separated from the regulatory framework that currently governs regional administration, coastal areas, and national marine spatial planning. Therefore, the drafting of the academic paper must consider various pre-existing provisions to create comprehensive and sustainable policy synchronisation. He noted that several regulations are of particular concern in the harmonisation process, including Law No. 23/2014 on Regional Government, Law No. 1/2022 on Financial Relations between the Central Government and Regional Governments, Law No. 27/2007 on the Management of Coastal Areas and Small Islands, Law No. 32/2014 on Marine Affairs, and Law No. 17/1985 on the Ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Bima also acknowledged the government’s understanding of the challenges faced by archipelagic regions, particularly regarding connectivity, public services, and the optimisation of marine-based economic potential. He said the government has continuously provided support through various policy instruments and development funding. “We fully understand the needs of provincial regions with archipelagic characteristics to maximise and optimise their potential in order to develop and improve the welfare of the community,” he stated. According to Bima, strengthening regulations for archipelagic regions should be directed at accelerating development while bolstering the welfare of communities living in these geographically unique areas. He expressed hope that the deliberation process would produce policy formulations aligned with regional needs and national interests. Bima also conveyed his appreciation for the DPD’s initiative in proposing the Archipelagic Regions Bill, hoping the entire deliberation process would proceed smoothly and result in regulations beneficial for the development of Indonesia as the world’s largest archipelagic nation.