APEKSI demonstrated its proactive role in national policy formulation by attending the Coordination Meeting for the Preparation of the Regional Autonomy Advisory Council (DPOD) Session 2025, held on August 8, 2025. APEKSI’s presence at this strategic forum was to ensure that the views and interests of city governments were accommodated in the DPOD’s agenda. This coordination meeting is a crucial stage preceding the official DPOD Session, which is tasked with formulating policy considerations on regional autonomy to be recommended to the Central Government. Through this participation, APEKSI sought to bridge national priorities with the realities and specific needs faced by cities across Indonesia.
During the Coordination Meeting, APEKSI conveyed three main hopes regarding the future direction of regional autonomy policy. First, APEKSI expressed the hope that every policy formulated would not only support national priorities but also explicitly strengthen regional fiscal independence. Increasing fiscal capacity is considered vital for city governments to be able to finance development and innovation independently. Second, emphasis was placed on the importance of ensuring a more equitable quality of public services in every city, eliminating disparities between regions. Third, APEKSI urged that regional autonomy policies genuinely facilitate the work of local governments, not the opposite. Overall, APEKSI’s participation affirms their commitment to ensuring that the spirit of regional autonomy leads to measurable and sustainable improvements in community welfare.