DPR: Regent Pati Sudewo Needs To Be Given A Chance, No Need To Be Immediately Impeached

Regent Pati Sudewo (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Chairman of Commission II of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Rifqinizamy Karsayuda, responded to the proposal for the impeachment of the Regent of Pati, Sudewo, who is currently in the process at the DPRD of Pati Regency, Central Java, following the discourse on the increase of PBB-P2 to 250 percent. According to him, Sudewo needs to be given the opportunity to improve his behavior and policy as Regent of Pati, which has only been running for less than a year.

"What happened in Pati can actually be seen from several perspectives. The first perspective is that the fiscal independence of regional revenue in almost all provinces, city districts in Indonesia is quite low. They depend very high on the transfer of central funds to the regions, namely the transfer of the state budget to the regions," Rifqi told reporters, Thursday, February 14.

"When the APBN is carried out efficiency and refocusing for strategic government programs, the regions are excited. Therefore, several regional heads took the initiative to increase regional taxes to then increase their local revenues", he continued.

The head of the commission in charge of domestic government said that the problem with the plan to increase land and building taxes has become chaotic because it coincides with regional, regional and even national economic problems.

"This is in a position where the dynamics are high and not fine. Therefore, this policy is not popular in society which tends to be criticized by the public," said Rifqi.

In addition to low local revenue (PAD), Rifqi assessed that political communication between public officials and the public was also less than optimal. According to Rifqi, whatever policies the government wants to take as much as possible, especially local governments, should use accountability and transparency of performance to their people.

"The APBD is open as much as possible so that the public knows how much the regional income is, then what regional needs are," said Rifqi.

"And if, for example, the regional needs have not been able to be financed by the APBD, then tell the public that the regions have not been able to carry out programs that were originally launched because there is no money," continued the NasDem legislator from the South Kalimantan electoral district.

According to Rifqi, communication between the local government and the people is important to build good governance as well as be sensitive to the public and involve the public.

"The third, in my view, in the end, public officials are required to be able to hold back a lot related to things that are very sensitive to the people," he said.

Rifqi assessed that the case in Pati was a lesson and a lesson for all parties to see how the relationship between regional heads and the people should not be separated.

"And demonstrations and so on are overflowing from the people's way, because he cannot convey it through normal institutions, normal opinion canalization," he said.

The fourth perspective, added Rifqi, is that the Pati case does not have to end until the local DPRD issues the right to declare an impeachment opinion against the Regent. According to him, this problem should be carried out with a mutually controlled process.

"Imbang, check and balances between the executive and the legislature there by improving a number of regent policies that so far may not be considered good," he said.

Therefore, Rifqi assessed that the Regent of Sudewo needed to be given the opportunity to carry out the mandate of the people. So there is no need for the DPRD to propose impeachment to the Supreme Court (MA).

"In the past year, Mas Sudewo's position as the regent of Pati should still be given the opportunity for him to improve things that are considered unfavorable," he concluded.