Regional Leaders’ Retreat Strengthens a New Direction for Development Towards an Advanced Indonesia
Jatinangor – The government has once again demonstrated its strong commitment to aligning national and regional efforts to realize faster, more equitable, and people-centered development. In the strategic forum of the Second Wave of the Regional Leaders’ Retreat, cross-ministerial and regional synergy was reaffirmed as a key to the successful implementation of national priority programs.
The forum served as a crucial platform for regional leaders to receive direct guidance from key ministers, including the Minister of National Development Planning/Head of Bappenas, Rachmat Pambudy, and the Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Dadan Hindayana. Both emphasized the importance of harmonizing national and regional visions to address real-world development challenges on the ground.
“We are building from the most basic needs: food, water, energy. We aim to realize the Asta Cita, the 17 Priority Programs, and the 8 Rapid Best Outcome Programs together,” stressed Rachmat.
He stated that the central government is no longer merely issuing top-down policies but is also incorporating input from local regions as the foundation for participatory and contextual planning.
He cited the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) Program as a concrete symbol of the state’s presence.
“There is a strong aspiration that national programs like MBG must bring real benefits to communities in the regions. Therefore, speed and precision in implementation are our shared responsibility,” he added.
Echoing this, BGN Head Dadan Hindayana emphasized the strategic role of local governments in ensuring the success of the MBG Program. He outlined three key roles for regional governments: preparing infrastructure, establishing supply chains, and delivering the program to priority groups such as pregnant women and toddlers.
“We cannot do this alone. Local governments are central to the Free Nutritious Meals program,” said Dadan.
He also expressed optimism about the readiness of human resources and logistics.
“By the end of July, we target to deploy 30,000 trained personnel to the regions. With strong and harmonious synergy, acceleration can be achieved,” he said.
He hopes that future communication and coordination between the central and regional governments will be even more robust—not only top-down, but also dialogical and responsive to local needs.
The retreat marks a critical moment to ensure that national development policy aligns from the central government all the way to the village level. From strengthening basic infrastructure and village economies to mainstreaming human rights in regional policymaking, every component is being directed toward a single goal: achieving public welfare.
Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Bima Arya Sugiarto, expressed appreciation for the forum’s growing discipline and responsiveness.
“The level of attendance, punctuality, and enthusiasm among participants has been outstanding. This shows that synergy is no longer just a slogan—it is becoming a work culture,” he said.
National policies can no longer be carried out in isolation from local realities. In fact, Indonesia’s strength lies in the cohesion between the national vision and regional potential. This synergy is not merely administrative coordination—it is a unified movement to respond to the people’s needs swiftly, accurately, and equitably.
