Decentralization of Power: Opportunities and Challenges for Regions

Focuses on the opportunities and challenges faced by regions in implementing regional autonomy in Indonesia. Decentralization, which is regulated in Article 18 of the 1945 Constitution and clarified through Law Number 23 of 2014 concerning Regional Government, gives regional governments the authority to manage local affairs in the hope of increasing government efficiency and bringing public services closer to the community. However, its implementation faces a number of challenges, such as gaps in human resource capacity, disparities in development between regions, and coordination problems between the central and regional governments. This article uses a normative legal approach to explore how decentralization of power works within the framework of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI), and identifies the opportunities offered by regional autonomy to encourage more equitable development. This study emphasizes the importance of strengthening regional capacity, harmonizing central-regional policies, and effective supervision from the central government to ensure that decentralization can truly bring the expected benefits.