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Jokowi tells regional administrations to fall in line with central government
In a speech at the National Development Planning Conference (Musrenbangnas), outgoing President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo once again called on regional administrations to fall in line with the central government’s policies and priorities.
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President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo (center) arrives at the Jakarta Convention Center in Central Jakarta on May 6, 2024, to open the National Development Planning Conference (Musrenbangnas). (Antara/Sigid Kurniawan)
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n a speech on Monday at the National Development Planning Conference (Musrenbangnas), outgoing President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo once again called on regional administrations to fall in line with the central government’s policies and priorities.
During the event in Jakarta, Jokowi slammed the lack of coordination between the central government and regional administrations, saying that it had led to big-budget infrastructure projects failing to give optimal returns to the nation’s economy.
Musrenbangnas is an annual event attended by central government ministries and institutions as well as regional administrations and is where the government hashes out the next year’s work plan (RKP).
“We already have long-term, medium-term and annual development plans. [Each of you] also has a work plan. But [these plans] are not yet in sync,” Jokowi said.
Without specifying any particular regions, Jokowi said some dams and toll roads that the government had paid for were not being utilized properly because regional administrations had failed to build irrigation channels and smaller roads that should have connected the infrastructure to local communities.
He also said there were instances in which regional administrations, upon getting a bump in their regional budgets, had allocated the funds haphazardly, rather than channeling them toward projects that were in line with the government’s priorities.
“This is something we all need to think about together, so that [the infrastructure] that has been built can really be productive, because people certainly need them,” Jokowi said.
