APEKSI held a strategic webinar titled “Dissecting the Urgency of Amending Law No. 23 of 2014 on Regional Government” on Monday, May 4, 2026, in response to the inclusion of the revised law in the 2025 Priority National Legislation Program (Prolegnas). This forum served as a crucial platform for the Heads of Regional Development Planning Agencies (Bappeda), Regional Development Planning Agency (Bapperida), and Regional Development Planning Agency (Bappelitbangda) throughout Indonesia to understand the direction of institutional transformation and the division of government affairs, which has been seen as trending towards recentralization. Featuring regional autonomy expert Prof. Dr. Muhadam Labolo, M.Si., the discussion highlighted the importance of recalibrating central-regional relations to minimize authority friction and strengthen fiscal independence for the welfare of the community.
Moderated by Dr. Dadang Wihana, the Head of BAPPERIDA in Depok City, the event specifically mapped the impact of regulatory changes on the capacity for more responsive and innovative regional development planning. APEKSI emphasized that many key norms in Law No. 23 of 2014 have been eroded by Constitutional Court rulings, creating legal uncertainty for city governments in managing their affairs. This webinar, held online via Zoom Meeting, is expected to gather strategic input from regional governments to oversee the legislative process in the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) and the Regional Representative Council (DPD RI), ensuring that regional autonomy is not merely a technical implementation of central policies, but rather an independent, autonomous entity.