Indonesian local leaders tackle civil servant reform and fiscal independence

Bupati Lumajang Indah Amperawati said that reorganising civil servants is extremely difficult, requiring approval from the National Civil Service Agency (BKN) and often facing rejections. She emphasized that the challenges are not political but administrative, stressing the need for capable officials to manage regional development. Amperawati also noted that tourism initiatives, such as the development of Tumpak Sewu, boosted local tax revenue from about Rp1 million a month to over Rp186 million.

Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Wiyagus urged regional heads, citing Kota Jambi, to reduce reliance on central government budgets by adopting creative financing. He advocated mobilising idle land assets to generate profit and increase locally sourced revenue, saying, "Jadi kalau bicara creative financing sudah ideal. Jadi, bagaimana lahan tidur yang menjadi aset‑aset pemerintah daerah ini benar‑benar bisa diberdayakan, bisa menghasilkan profit lah ya untuk menambah PAD." The minister called for stronger collaboration with the private sector to achieve fiscal independence and accelerate regional development.