Proposal Of IDR 10 Billion Incentives For Good Water Management Areas, Minister Of Home Affairs: Let's Compete With Each Other

Minister of Home Affairs (Mendagri) Tito Karnavian. Photo: Theresia Agatha/VOI

JAKARTA - The Indonesian government plans to provide incentives for regions that show good performance in managing water resources in their regions.

Minister of Home Affairs (Mendagri) Tito Karnavian said that the provision of water incentives was initially proposed by the Minister of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Basuki Hadimuljono so that the central government could use the semi-local autonomy policy for water management in various regions.

Tito assessed that the need for clean water and drinking water in the regions is the responsibility of the provincial, district and city governments.

"We are making a competitive climate between regions so that they can compete for each other to manage the water as well as possible. Well, we will give our best, which is not good, we will give punishment at least a warning," Tito said when met at the 10th World Water Forum at the Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center, Wednesday, May 22.

He explained that the proposed incentives for the management of water resources to regions would be carried out the same as fiscal incentives for controlling regional inflation. According to him, so far his party has asked the Minister of Finance to prepare an incentive fund of IDR 1 trillion which was then given to 100 regions that managed to control inflation.

Likewise, with the amount of incentives for regional water management, Tito said it would be equalized, amounting to Rp. 10 billion per region in the form of regional incentive funds. However, he could not confirm the number of regions that would be given water management incentives.

"So the method is Rp. 10 billion for regions that are considered successful (managing water). In total (regions) I don't know, whether 100 regions or enough 10 regions will be discussed technically for the Minister of Finance and PUPR," he said.

The former National Police Chief claimed that an attractive award was indeed in the form of funds because it could be an additional APBD in the regions to increase the electability of regional heads. Although he admits that there are no special rules regarding the amount of regional expenditure allocation for water management purposes in the APBD and Village Funds.

Even so, he believes that the incentives provided by the central government will encourage regional heads to compete to better manage water resources in their regions.

Later, said Tito, a number of indicators will become parameters for the success of the region in managing its water resources.

"For example, access to clean water to all people is fulfilled in the area. Then, good management, irrigation runs smoothly, for example. Technically later from the Ministry of PUPR," he added.