Controversy over the Recommendation for Livestock Circulation, NTT Ombudsman: The Legal Basis is Regional Regulation 37

JAKARTA - The Acting Head of the East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Ombudsman, Philipus Max Jemadu, emphasized that NTT Governor Regulation (Pergub) Number 37 of 2025 must be the legal basis in the process of issuing recommendations for livestock expenditure from the region.

The clarification was made in response to the controversy over the service of recommendations for livestock expenditure, specifically cattle in the South Central Timor (TTS) regency and Kupang Regency, Friday, April 10.

The regulation regulates the control of the entry, expenditure, and circulation of livestock, animal products, and other by-products.

According to Max, the cattle trade sector is one of the important pillars of the economy in NTT as a livestock producing area, so that the management of livestock expenditure must be carried out in an accountable, transparent and measurable manner, especially in maintaining the balance of livestock population.

He said that since 2017, the NTT Ombudsman had conducted a study related to the problem of recommendations for livestock expenditure, which was then followed up with coordination to the Governor of NTT through letter number B/0167/TU.01.02-18/V/2025. As a result, the issuance of Pergub Number 37 of 2025, which replaced Pergub Number 52 of 2023.

"For 2026 there is a Governor's Decree Number 56 of 2026 concerning the allocation of livestock expenditures. If you look at the allocation placement in 22 districts/cities in NTT, the largest quota is obtained by the TTS Regency, namely 13,200 cows, followed by Kupang Regency with 12,628 cows," he said, quoted by Antara.

He explained that the establishment of the quota was the basis for the district government through the animal husbandry service to issue recommendations to applicants in accordance with the allocation established without causing polemics like this.

However, the NTT Ombudsman noted that the problems that arose in the field were allegedly caused by the distribution of quotas that were not proportional, as well as indications of practices outside the official mechanism, including the imposition of illegal fees in the process of issuing recommendations.

He also highlighted the lack of a standard formula in the allocation of quotas by the heads of the livestock service of the Regency/City as a strong potential for this problem to arise.

"The recommendation for livestock expenditure is part of a public service product that should be required to follow public service standards (SPP) so that information about requirements, procedures, time, and service costs is certain to avoid transactions in the recommendation for livestock expenditure. Public service standards must be the basis for the relationship between service providers, in this case the livestock service, with applicants or cattle farmers," he said.

It is known that in the licensing scheme, the recommendation from the district livestock service is one of the main requirements for obtaining the governor's permit for Pergub Number 37 of 2025. It has clearly regulated the parties authorized in the process, ranging from the original district livestock service, provincial livestock service, to the Investment and One-Stop Service (PTSP) Service of NTT Province.

Furthermore, Max expressed his appreciation for the proactive steps of the TTS Regency DPRD in resolving the issue of the recommendation.

As a concrete step, he admitted that he had processed a request for information to the TTS Regency and Kupang Regency Livestock Services regarding the legal basis for services, legal products related to cattle expenses, recommendations and animal health inspection service standards, and the mechanism for sharing the quota of Cattle Farmers.

"We want to ensure how the recommendation service is actually held in the area," he said.