The purpose of this report is to know about how far is decentralization in Indonesia. Each region has its own uniqueness, and its own needs that can be different from the others. If all government business is controlled from Jakarta, then it is unfair for the people living in remote regions. From my interview with Irman G. Lanti, Ph.D., Assistant Country Director/Team Leader, Democratic Governance Unit in UNDP Indonesia, I learned that decentralization in Indonesia is a necessity because Indonesia is a big country with so many different ethnic, religious, cultural, and racial groups living in it.
Decentralization in Indonesia is still new, so there are still some problems in its execution. The most difficult challenge is how the local governments can function to serve the best interest of the people, rather than of their rulers. Decentralization should bring benefits to the people because the local governments are supposed to know the needs and aspiration of the their people better. The other challenge is how regional governments can cooperate with one another, rather than to fulfill or pursuing its own goals. Local governments should coordinate their development policies with those of their neighbours because in reality they live side by side and are dependent on each other.
Despite these challenges, Dr. Lanti is optimistic that decentralization in Indonesia will be successful because he does not think that anyone will agree if the government power is brought back to the central level. His office in UNDP is assisting the Indonesian government in ensuring that decentralization in Indonesia is successful, through support to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Bappenas, and the pilot provinces in Bangka Belitung, East Nusa Tenggara, and Gorontalo.
Kalista Maharani Lanti
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