West Kalimantan Governor: Formation of Kapuas Raya Province Now a Necessity

West Kalimantan Governor Ria Norsan has stated that accelerating the formation of Kapuas Raya Province has become a necessity to enhance the effectiveness of public services and equitable development in West Kalimantan. “In the current situation, the most urgent matter for West Kalimantan is regional expansion. West Kalimantan has a very large territory, while the need for public services continues to increase,” Norsan said in Pontianak on Sunday. According to him, the vast area of West Kalimantan poses a challenge in delivering fast and equitable public services. Therefore, the formation of Kapuas Raya Province is considered a solution to bring services closer to the community, especially in the eastern part of West Kalimantan. Norsan explained that the proposal to establish Kapuas Raya Province has been submitted to the central government since 2007. Various administrative and technical requirements, such as academic studies, support from the proposed coverage areas, and the readiness of government infrastructure, have reportedly been fulfilled. On the occasion, Norsan also provided input regarding the discussion of the Draft Law on Regencies/Cities currently being deliberated by Commission II of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI). “Of the 15 draft laws being discussed, seven are directly related to administrative regions in West Kalimantan. Therefore, we consider it important that perspectives and input from the regions can be part of the discussion,” he said. According to Norsan, regulatory updates are needed so that the legal basis for forming regencies and cities is more adaptive to the dynamics of government administration. He added that Commission II of the DPR RI is also paying attention to the ethnic diversity in West Kalimantan, such as the Dayak, Malay, and Chinese communities, as a socio-cultural asset that needs to be considered in drafting regulations. “We hope that Commission II of the DPR RI can strengthen community protection, support the empowerment of local governments, and encourage the acceleration of more equitable and just development across all regions of Indonesia, including West Kalimantan,” Norsan said.