Reconsider the Division

KOMPAS

The House of Representatives approved three new provinces in Papua, namely South Papua Province, Central Papua Province, and Papua Mountains Province, on Thursday (30/6/2022).

It appears that Pandora’s box on administrative divisions was opened again when the government and the House of Representatives (DPR) agreed to carve out four new provinces from Papua and West Papua.

The policy has encouraged a number of regions to resubmit their proposals on dividing their administrative jurisdictions. According to data from the Regional Autonomy Directorate General at the Home Ministry, 329 proposals for new autonomous regions (DOB) have been submitted as of this month. The proposals cover 55 provinces, 247 regencies and 37 cities. Only those regions in Jakarta, Yogyakarta, and Bali have not submitted proposals on dividing their jurisdictions.

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Dividing up a jurisdiction is among the new phenomena of the reform era. BY the end of the New Order government, there were 297 regencies and municipalities in 27 provinces. Today, there are 514 regencies and municipalities in 37 provinces. These figures do not include Southwest Papua province, which is to be ratified soon.

Amidst the rampant divisions, the results of a government survey in 2012 have shown that as much as 70 percent of the DOBs formed since 1999 has not provided satisfactory results in improving public welfare.

A decade later in 2009, the DAU budget had increased threefold to Rp 167 trillion.

At the same time, the formation of these new DOBs has also added to the financial burdens of the central government. In 1999, the combined total of the general allocation fund (DAU) transferred to the regions was Rp 54.31 trillion. A decade later in 2009, the DAU budget had increased threefold to Rp 167 trillion.

Looking back, it is thought that the main consideration for several of these regional divisions was not to improve the people’s welfare through means such as shortening the delivery range of public services. Instead, they appear to involve other considerations, such as pressure from members of the local and national political elite who have an interest in the region or to reduce conflicts in the region.

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

The atmosphere of the DPR Commission II public hearing meeting with a number of parties related to the expansion of new autonomous regions at the Parliament Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, Tuesday (12/11/2019).

Carving out three new provinces in Papua has also raised a question as to whether its goal is solely to improve the welfare of the local people or if there were other motivations, such as power politics?

Regional and community development indeed led to a moratorium on jurisdictional divisions in 2006, but this could not be maintained out forever. However, learning from the results of the expansion efforts so far, it's time to use clearer and rational considerations in reviving the policy.

Instead, the solution lies in other areas, such as by accelerating development or making a policy that is more just and respectful of the local community.

If the real aim is to improve local welfare, is carving out new administrative areas really an honest way to achieve this aim? If the main political consideration includes making a region safer or exerting more control, is creating a new province really the answer? Instead, the solution lies in other areas, such as by accelerating development or making a policy that is more just and respectful of the local community.

This needs to be applied because if an area has been divided, it is difficult to undo. It is good to discuss ideas like merging those DOBs that have been deemed a failure. However, this would take a lot of energy to implement, because a DOB already has a regional head, a Regional Legislative Council (DPRD), and civil servants in the local bureaucracy.

(This article was translated by Hyginus Hardoyo)