Directives of the President of the Republic of Indonesia to Governors Across Indonesia at Nusantara Garuda Palace, North Penajam Paser Regency, East Kalimantan Province, August 13, 2024

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.

Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.
Good morning,
May prosperity be upon us all,
Shalom,
Om swastiastu,
Namo Buddhaya,
Greetings of Virtue.

Distinguished Vice President, Ministers, Commander of the Indonesian National Defense Forces (TNI), Chief of National Police, Governors.

First of all, I would like to say that a governor is the spearhead connecting the regions and the Central Government. As the representative of the Central Government in the region, the governor must truly understand the scale of priorities and the direction of Central Government policies. This alignment is crucial so that governors can oversee and monitor regents/mayors, ensuring that regions remain in line with the Central Government, especially regarding strategic development priorities. We must avoid a situation where the Central Government goes north, while the regions go in opposite direction. Because no matter what, the priorities and direction of the Central Government must really be in line with the regional governments, so that the existing programs truly receive real support from the regions.

I cite an example. High-cost facilities such as reservoirs are built by the Central Government. The primary irrigation system is also built by the Central Government. While the secondary and tertiary systems, which are necessary for connecting the water to the paddy field, should be handled by governments at provincial and regency levels. However, in reality, there are cases where the dam is completed, but there is no secondary or tertiary irrigation to connect the rice fields. If that’s the case, the regional governments should communicate with the Central Government through the governor that they do not have the capability to build the irrigations, and they can request for assistance to the Central Government.

Next case is sea port. Access road to sea port, spanning only six kilometers long, has not been completed for years, preventing the port from functioning properly.  If there are budget constraints, it is allowed to request assistance from the Central Government. Just send a letter to the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing. We already have Presidential Instruction on Regional Roads, which I believe will be very helpful for issues like this.

I also asked the provincial governments to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each regency and city under their jurisdiction. I have noticed that some regencies have very large budgets, but the directions of their programs are unclear, with much being spent on grants due to political purposes. If these budgets were better allocated, they could be used to build ten hospitals or universities, particularly for education and health sectors.

I urge all Governors to ensure that the regional government programs are aligned with the Central Government policies, particularly the ones which have direct impacts to the people. I also encourage to increasing subregional cooperation so that several regional governments can raise issues, for example regarding waste, collectively which will make it easier to be addressed.

Next, regarding data. I request that the provincial government also direct the regency and city governments to properly back up the existing data. If possible, the data backup should be layered, so if one is hacked, there are still two or three backups available. This is crucial for the future, and once again, regency and city governments should be instructed about this issue.

Lastly, regarding the National Sports Week (PON) in Aceh and North Sumatra provinces. I believe the venues and events, as I asked the Minister of Home Affairs and the Minister of Youth and Sports, are almost ready. So, I request other provinces, especially those related to the Indonesian National Sports Committee (KONI), to make sure they coordinate with the KONI, to support the training of athletes of the existing sports branches. Many are still complaining about the lack of support from the provinces, regencies, or cities. Whatever the case, for those Governors aiming to boost their electability, must train their athletes to win a lot of gold medals which later can boost their electability.

Regarding the funding for transportation during the PON, Governors should cover the costs of transportation to North Sumatra and Aceh. This also includes food, and make sure it’s properly taken care of. We don’t want to hear any complaints that athletes are not eating because of a lack of budget. I’ve still heard such complaints from KONI. So, please make sure everything is well-prepared.

That concludes my remarks. If there is anything you would like to address, I now invite the Governors to speak.

(EST/RAS/LW)