Mayors In Indonesia Are Ready To Carry Out Central Government Directives, But Don't 'Circumcised' Regional Heads' Authority

Chairman of the Apeksi Management Board who is also the Mayor of Bogor Bima Arya Sugiarto/DOC Instagram bimaaryasugiarto

PADANG - The Association of Indonesian City Governments (Apeksi) hopes that the spirit of regional autonomy and local wisdom will become the main spirit of development and economic recovery in Indonesia.

"We mayors throughout Indonesia are ready to carry out directives from the central government, but there are things at the local level that the central government must understand," said Bima Arya Sugiarto, chairman of the Apex Executive Board, in Padang, as reported by ANTARA, Monday, August 8.

He conveyed this at the Apeksi XV National Working Meeting with the theme Our City Rises Towards an Developed Synergy followed by 94 mayors in Indonesia.

According to Bima Arya, who is also the Mayor of Bogor, the rules made by the central government must take into account the local constellation.

"Regional authority is a reform mandate, not only to pursue economic growth, but the mayor's authority to be crushed," he said.

Furthermore, his party also requested that the central government also work hard and are equally committed to carrying out economic recovery.

"The mayors work hard, so the ministers are also committed, don't let them lie down in front of the mayor or walk around," said the Mayor of Bogor.

In addition, Bima Arya asked the central government to be more realistic in making regulations.

"We were asked to circumcise this, not to mention the honorarium was removed. We are ready to work hard but the target must be realistic," he said.

Bima Arya explained that currently mayors in Indonesia are faced with four challenges that must be overcome.

"The first is being asked to move quickly to restore the economy after the pandemic," he said.

However, at the same time he found a tsunami of regulations with the presence of various regulations and laws that were made in the context of bureaucratic reform.

Then the mayors are also required to boost infrastructure development while still paying attention to sustainable and environmentally friendly development.

"We are also asked to increase domestic production following the directions of the central government," he said.

It's not enough that the mayors also have to prepare for succession in the form of local elections.

"There will be many regions led by implementing officials, if they do not understand the problem map, new problems will arise," he explained.

He also emphasized that in order to realize economic recovery, there should be no overlapping regulations.