Jokowi Restricts Regional Heads from Issuing Many Policies

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo demanded local administrations refrain from drafting many regulations as it would complicate the bureaucracy and hinder the program acceleration initiated by the central government

“I have ordered the DPR (House of Representatives) speakers, leaders that I entrust to them Regional Legislative Councils (DPRD), governors, regents, mayors to not issuing excessive regional, gubernatorial, or mayoral regulations,” said the President during a National Coordination Meeting of Indonesia Onward at Sentul International Convention Center, Bogor, West Java, Wednesday, November 13.

He asserted that such a practice must be halted immediately and wished regional administrations could be more flexible and quickly responds to the dynamic.

He then quipped ‘hidden’ purposes from drafting many local policies, including plans to conduct working visits and comparative studies, given every formation of a policy required both.

“I acknowledge what is behind the working visit and comparative study. I perfectly know about it. So stop it already,” said the President, followed by laughter and cheers from the meeting participants.

Jokowi underlined that the government was preparing an omnibus law that would cut a number of regulations considered hampering the bureaucracy. He expected the law would create the implementation of the government programs more effective. "We have already submitted 70 to 74 laws to the DPR to be simplified into one law at once," he said.

EGI ADYATAMA