Experts urge evaluation of regional autonomy to strengthen governance

A number of governance experts, researchers, and academics are urging a comprehensive evaluation of the implementation of regional autonomy following 25 years of decentralisation reforms to strengthen governance, regional fiscal capacity, and the quality of public services. During the online launch discussion for the book ‘Decentralization, Democracy, and Local Politics in Indonesia’ in Jakarta on Tuesday, speakers assessed that regional autonomy remains relevant as an instrument for equitable development but requires various refinements to meet evolving challenges. Testriono, a lecturer at the Faculty of Social Sciences at the Indonesian International Islamic University, stated that a survey conducted by the Populi Center shows public understanding of regional autonomy remains relatively low, even though the policy has been in effect for a quarter of a century. ‘The merit-based system and the clarity of reward and punishment schemes for regional apparatus must be strengthened to narrow the capability gap between regions, which is currently too wide,’ he said. According to him, various decentralisation goals, such as bringing services closer to the community, expanding public participation, and encouraging regional innovation, have not been fully achieved because of ongoing challenges, including regional corruption, inter-regional disparities, and fiscal dependency on the central government. Testriono assessed that strengthening the quality of human resources within the apparatus is a key factor in improving the effectiveness of regional autonomy. Regional autonomy expert Djohermansyah Djohan opined that the various challenges in implementing decentralisation should not be used as a reason to return to a more centralised system. ‘These various problems must not be used as an excuse to return to a centralised system. The spirit of decentralisation must be maintained,’ he stated. He proposed a more adaptive approach, namely granting authority tailored to the capacity of each region, along with evaluating regions resulting from proliferation so they can develop sustainably. In addition, researcher at the National Research and Innovation Agency Riris Katharina emphasised that the success of decentralisation must be measured by the ability of regional governments to improve community welfare. ‘The future of Indonesia’s decentralisation depends on its ability to serve the community, not merely on maintaining government structures,’ she said. Riris also highlighted the importance of improving fiscal governance and increasing the transparency of central-regional government relations so that development planning can run more effectively. On the same occasion, Vice Minister of Home Affairs Bima Arya Sugiarto stated that the government is preparing a Grand Design for Regional Structuring as a foundation for strengthening regional autonomy going forward. ‘Regional autonomy cannot be viewed as re-centralisation or decentralisation, but more than that, we must look at a broader perspective. It is very complex; therefore, improving regional autonomy covers many aspects, including regulatory factors, electoral system factors, and also cultural factors,’ said Bima. He added that the design is expected to form the basis for perfecting regional governance management, including responding to issues of regional proliferation and strengthening regional capacity. Senior researcher at the Populi Center, Ratri Istania, added that policy evaluation needs to be strengthened because it remains a relatively weak link in the public policy formulation cycle. ‘The voice of the community must continue to serve as the basis for policy formulation,’ she said.