District/city bills to strengthen regional governance: Home Minister

 Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian has said that the approval of 15 district/city bills covering three provinces in Kalimantan will strengthen legal certainty in regional government administration.

"To achieve legal certainty without controversy, while also serving as the legal basis for all derivative regulations below it, including regional regulations," Karnavian said, as quoted from his written statement here 

He made the remarks at a plenary session of the House of Representatives (DPR) on the Level II Deliberation/Decision-Making on the 15 district/city bills, held at the DPR Plenary Session Room in Jakarta 

According to him, the regulatory update is needed to align the legal basis for regional formation with the constitution and current regional administrative developments.

He explained that the drafting of the 15 bills is part of updating the legal basis for districts and cities, especially to align their constitutional foundation with the 1945 Constitution.

He said that a number of regions still use legal bases referring to the 1949 Constitution of the Republic of the United States of Indonesia (RIS Constitution) or the 1950 Provisional Constitution (UUDS).

Additionally, the 15 bills have been updated to reflect recent regional administrative developments, accommodating the creation of new autonomous regions or expansions and affirming the status of district capitals located within a single sub-district.

Also, by incorporating local traits into the regulations, the minister said the state recognizes Indonesia's regional diversity while reaffirming its unity within the framework of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI).

According to Karnavian, the 15 bills draw on 20 provincial and 142 district or city laws enacted between 2022 and 2025, as part of steps by the government and DPR to update regulations related to regions.

"The government is optimistic that the 15 district/city bills, which are a DPR initiative, will strengthen the implementation of local governments, especially in terms of legal certainty," he said.