Eko Adi Prasetya

16/404017/PSP/05690
Structure of Local Government and Functional Assignments Linkage Program MAP UGM

Indonesia is a unitary republic and is divided into five layers of government: central, provinces,
kabupaten (districts) and kota (municipalities), kecamatan (subdistricts), and kelurahan/desa (villages). The first
division from the center includes the provinces (propinsi) (~33), followed by regencies/districts (kabupaten)
(~399) and cities/municipalities (kotamadya) (~98). Kabupaten and Kotamadya are further sub-divided into
6,994 sub-districts (kecamatans) and then into 73,000 rural villages (desa) and 8,309 urban communities
(kelurahan). (Govt. of Indonesia, Ministry of Home Affairs 2013). Desa and Kelurahan are further divided into
neighborhood and community units (RT/RW),which do not have an official administrative status in the government.
Provincial government includes a provincial parliament, called Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Daerah (DPRD), and
a Governor elected by the citizens. The DPRD roles include formulating and overseeing the implementation
of regional policies, passing the budget, and carrying out national government tasks. A Mayor heads the city
government, and a Regent presides over the district. These heads are elected by their citizens as per the Law 23/2014
on Regional Government. Since the decentralization policy implemented in 1999, there is no hierarchical links
between provincial and city/district levels. In addition, the law stipulated that city/districts are autonomous regions.
In cities, the Local Parliament (DPRD Kota) encompasses the entire urban and surrounding peri-urban areas. Sub-
districts serve as a level for administrative deconcentration of the district government and the main task of sub-
district government is to oversee the implementation of district policy at the village level. The sub-district
government oversees the village level participatory planning processes and coordinates activities related to
health service provision and improving traffic and waste management.
The village (desa or kelurahan) is the lowest level of recognized government in Indonesia. The desa
or rural village is no longer an administrative level according to the new Law 6/2014 on Village Government. The
desa is headed by an elected village head who is accountable to the district government and includes a mandate for
an elected village council. In urban areas, the kelurahan unit is headed by a lurah, a civil servant, who is appointed
by the governor.

Structure of Local Government (Shah, 2006)

Local Government Functions

Obligatory Functions of Subnational Governments under Laws 22/1999 and 32/2004 (Shah, 2006)
 Eko Adi Prasetya
16/404017/PSP/05690
Structure of Local Government and Functional Assignments Linkage Program MAP UGM

Reference:

Government of Indonesia, Ministry of Home Affairs (2013) Regional Data Book 2013 - Buku Induk Kode Data
Wilayah 2013 (Permendagri No.18-2013)See:http://www.kemendagri.go.id/media/filemanager/2013/05/28/b/u/
buku_induk_kode_data_dan_wilayah_2013.pdf
Marx, Susan and Ghosh, Asha. Comparative Review of Village Governance in Cambodia, Indonesia, Papua New
Guinea, and the Philippines.Timor Leste: The Asia Foundation, 2014.
Nasution, A. Government Decentralization Program in Indonesia. ADBI Working Paper 601. Tokyo: Asian
Development Bank Institute.2016.
Shah, Anwar. 2006. Local Governance in Developing Countries. Public Sector Governance and Accountability.
Washington, DC: World Bank. World Bank. https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/7192
License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.