Indonesian government agency restructuring proposals

President Prabowo Subianto has initiated several proposals to restructure Indonesian government agencies to improve disaster management and environmental protection.

To strengthen disaster monitoring following volcanic eruptions, the President proposed merging the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) with the Geological Agency. While some legislative leaders support the merger for potential budget and equipment efficiencies, others have called for thorough studies to ensure distinct agency functions are preserved. There has also been a suggestion to integrate the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) into the Ministry of Public Works.

In a separate environmental initiative, the government is drafting regulations to establish the National Peatland and Mangrove Management Agency (BPGMN). Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni and Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology Brian Yuliarto are coordinating to draft a Presidential Regulation for the body to ensure sustainable ecosystem management.

During recent workshops, experts, academics, and civil society organizations submitted an urgency manuscript to guide the agency’s formation. A significant proposal suggests that BPGMN should have a long-term mandate, potentially aligned with the ‘Indonesia Emas 2045’ vision, to avoid being an ad-hoc agency with a fixed expiration date like its predecessors, the Peatland Restoration Agency (BRG) and the Peatland and Mangrove Restoration Agency (BRGM). The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology has pledged to support the agency by mobilizing research capacities and human resources from universities, particularly in the six provinces with significant peatland areas.