Ministry of ATR/BPN Advocates for Standardization of Regional Spatial Planning Institutions in Revision of Law on Regional Government

The Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/National Land Agency (Agraria dan Tata Ruang/Badan Pertanahan Nasional – "ATR/BPN") has proposed the standardization of spatial planning institutions at the regional level in the ongoing revision of Law No. 23 of 2014 on Regional Government, as amended by Law No. 9 of 2015 (collectively referred to as "Law 23/2014"). Fuad Firmansyah, Head of Sub-directorate for Spatial Planning Supervision at the Ministry of ATR/BPN, stated that this proposed standardization aims to achieve greater uniformity among regional spatial planning institutions.  

"We hope that through this standardization proposal, the diversification of echelon levels across regions will no longer exist in the future," Fuad said.

Fuad stated that the organizational structure responsible for spatial planning at the regional level currently varies, with some units operating at Echelon II, Echelon III, and even Echelon IV levels. According to him, these disparities directly impact budget allocations, human resource availability, and decision-making authority. In practice, however, spatial planning carries a substantial workload as it encompasses all development sectors.  

Therefore, Fuad added, the proposed standardization highlights the necessity of positioning spatial planning institutions at higher administrative levels—such as Echelon II or III—so that regional spatial planning institutions possess stronger operational authority. He expressed hope that this standardization will elevate the quality of spatial planning services across regions and ensure equitable service delivery, thereby eliminating disparities in service quality across regions.