Ministry Of Home Affairs Receives 337 Proposals For The Establishment Of A New Autonomous Region

JAKARTA - Deputy Minister of Home Affairs (Wamendagri) Bima Arya Sugiarto said his party received 337 proposals for the formation of a new autonomous region (DOB) in the country.

This number includes 42 provincial expansion proposals, 248 district expansions, 36 city expansions, 6 special regional expansions, and 5 special autonomy expansions.

"Earlier, there were many proposals about the autonomous region, yes, we ourselves have 337 (proposed)," Bima said as quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, December 10.

However, he stressed that careful consideration is needed to open the moratorium because it involves the country's fiscal capacity as a factor in the formation of a DOB.

"This is related to the state fiscal, the condition of our fiscal capacity, what kind of planning capability, what kind of funding. So it must involve many parties," he said.

Bima conveyed that the discussion on the direction of regional autonomy in the future is one of the discussions discussed in the Joint Working Meeting of Committee I DPD RI.

"Whether it remains in the province, what is the city/district, and how the electoral system, we convey that we provide space for all to provide input related to improving the system," he said.

Regarding the many proposals, Bima said that the Ministry of Home Affairs received a lot of requests for the DOB moratorium to be stopped.

"How many times have there been talks or discussions about whether it's time for us to open the DOB tap earlier," Bima said during the meeting.

If the moratorium policy is revoked, said Bima, it is agreed that regional development is carried out in a limited manner and is truly related to national strategic interests.

Because, he continued, many DOBs can be said to not meet the target because financing and dependence on the center are quite large, but do not develop according to the expected regional expansion target.

"There is a good DOB, but there are also many DOB records that can be said to be not optimal. Now this requires a very mature study," he said.

In fact, currently, financing national priority programs requires a lot of budget, for example, in supporting food sovereignty.

"Of course, we also have to calculate the extent to which we can continue to support these national policies," he said.

However, the Ministry of Home Affairs emphasized that a number of regions really need expansion because their territory is too wide.

"So some regions require a long special study, but some areas have a study, and have matured, and only a decision is taken," said the Deputy Minister of Trade.