MP: Regional autonomy must drive independence, not dependency
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Member of the House of Representatives’ Commission II, Muhammad Khozin, stated that the spirit of 30 years of regional autonomy implementation should drive self-reliance for local governments, rather than extending dependency on the central government.
Khozin, in a statement in Jakarta on Tuesday, assessed that regional autonomy has opened opportunities for local governments to innovate and accelerate development in line with regional characteristics.
However, many regions still face serious obstacles, especially newly formed regions that have not yet optimised their potential and remain dependent on the central government, both fiscally and in terms of institutional capacity.
“Over these 30 years, we have seen progress, but also clear disparities. Many regions are not yet truly independent and still rely on central transfers. This must be a serious concern,” said Khozin.
He also reminded the central government not to become complacent and to continue serious oversight, particularly for underdeveloped regions and newly formed ones.
“The central government must not simply release regions without support. There must be strong oversight alongside directed mentoring, especially for underdeveloped and newly formed regions, so they do not stagnate,” he said.
Furthermore, he explained that regional autonomy is not merely a decentralisation of authority, but a decentralisation of responsibility. In his view, regions must have the courage to build fiscal independence and improve the quality of public services.
According to him, 30 years of regional autonomy should serve as a momentum for consolidation, not just administrative evaluation. The main issue is no longer in policy design, but in implementation that has not been fully consistent and results-oriented.
Regional independence, he said, cannot continue to be interpreted merely as freedom to manage budgets, but must be realised in the ability to create sustainable local original revenue sources, public service innovations, and the courage to take strategic policies based on local needs.
On the other hand, he stated that local governments need to demonstrate stronger commitment in building clean, professional, and accountable governance. Without that, autonomy will only become a space for decentralising problems and not solutions.
To that end, he encouraged the central government to shift its approach from mere administrative oversight to performance-based mentoring. Underdeveloped regions, especially newly formed ones, cannot be just monitored; they must be intensively assisted with clear and measurable targets.
“So I think that in the future, the success of regional autonomy will be determined by the balance between independence and accountability. Regions must dare to be independent, yet remain disciplined in achieving development targets,” he said.