Meeting in Bogor Palace, President Jokowi Asks Governors to Express Their Wishes

Meeting in Bogor Palace, President Jokowi Asks Governors to Express Their Wishes

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) together with Vice President Jusuf Kalla, in Bogor Palace, West Java, on Monday morning (24/11), met all the governors in Indonesia who join the Association of Indonesian Provincial Administrations (APPSI).

Before declaring that the meeting was closed to journalists, President Jokowi told the governors to express their respective peoples’ wishes and hopes as regards the Working Cabinet’s government programs.

“Today, we really want to hear the provinces’ aspirations and wishes, especially those related to the programs already established by the provincial governments, so that we can synchronize both the central government’s and the provincial governments’ programs. In this way, all policies and programs established by central, provincial, regency, and municipal governments can be well consolidated and connected,” President Jokowi stated.

More Authority to Supervise

Previously, South Sulawesi Governor Syahrul Yasin Limpo in his capacity as the Chairman of the Association of Indonesian Provincial Administrations (APPSI) expressed his deep gratitude for President Jokowi’s willingness to receive the governors in Bogor Palace.

The South Sulawesi Governor stated that in their capacity as the representatives of the central government, governors must synchronize their duties with those of central government. In this regard, APPSI serves as their forum for providing inputs for the central government, either directly or indirectly (through the Minister of Home Affairs).

The governors, Syahrul continued, must perform two duties, namely the one related to regional autonomy and the other related to their capacity as the direct representatives of the central government.

“One of APPSI’s recommendations points out the urgency of government programs which must provide more benefits for people,” Syahrul concluded.

The Chairman of APPSI expected that in the performance of their governmental duties, governors should be granted more authority to exercise direct supervision in their respective regions. “If the governors have more authority to hand out reward and punishment to their subordinates (especially to the regents), I believe that controls can be implemented more effectively in the regions,” Syahrul said.

A number of top government officials were present at the meeting with all the governors in Indonesia. They were, among others, Coordinating Minister of Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno, Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs Sofyan Djalil, Coordinating Minister of Human Development and Culture Puan Maharani, Minister of Home Affairs Tjahjo Kumolo, Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Management Ferry Mursyidan Baldan, Minister of Public Works and Public Housing Basuki Hadimuljono, and Cabinet Secretary Andi Widjajanto. (AK/Humas Setkab/ES)