KP3S: Formation of Sumbawa Province to Bring Public Services Closer

Mataram (ANTARA) - The Committee for the Acceleration of the Formation of Sumbawa Province (KP3S) stated that the proposal to create the Province of Sumbawa Island aims to bring public services closer to the approximately 1.atura million residents of Sumbawa Island.

KP3S Chairman Sanusi in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara, on Sunday, said the community on Sumbawa Island still faces limited access to health, education, and government services. “This situation is one of the reasons for the formation of the Sumbawa Province, so that public services can be closer and more evenly distributed,” he said.

According to Sanusi, many patients from Sumbawa Island still have to be referred to hospitals on Lombok Island due to the limited health facilities in the region. Sanusi also assessed that the country’s limited fiscal capacity, which has so far been the reason for delaying the formation of new autonomous regions, should not override the community’s need for public services. “The government should prioritise the service needs of the community, especially for the 1.3 million residents of Sumbawa Island,” he said.

He stated that KP3S has submitted a letter to the Ministry of Home Affairs, which was then forwarded to the directorate in charge of regional autonomy preparation. According to Sanusi, the reply received still cited the country’s limited fiscal capacity as the reason the formation of Sumbawa Province could not yet be realised.

Previously, Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian stated that regions in West Nusa Tenggara have relatively weak fiscal capacity because most of their revenue still depends on central government transfers. He noted that West Sumbawa Regency has a locally-generated revenue (PAD) of 9.38 percent and central transfers of 77.54 percent. Sumbawa Regency recorded a PAD of 9.44 percent and central transfers of 88.56 percent. Dompu Regency has a PAD of 10.24 percent and central transfers of 88.20 percent. Bima Regency recorded a PAD of 10.05 percent and central transfers of 87.77 percent, while Bima City has a PAD of 9.40 percent and central transfers of 90.60 percent.

Meanwhile, Mataram City recorded the highest PAD in NTB, at 32.20 percent with central transfers of 67.80 percent. North Lombok has a PAD of 26.35 percent and central transfers of 73.65 percent.

NTB Governor Lalu Muhamad Iqbal stated that the provincial government continues to encourage equitable development on Sumbawa Island through improving health services, strengthening human resources, and infrastructure development. According to Iqbal, several strategic agendas being prepared include the establishment of a medical faculty, upgrading hospital status, and building connecting roads to expand public access.