Jakarta – The Home Ministry is planning to organize a retreat for regional secretaries nationwide, potentially combining it with the upcoming third regional leaders' retreat in a bid to enhance coordination and accelerate the implementation of national development programs at the local level.
Deputy Home Minister Bima Arya Sugiarto said the ministry was reviewing the feasibility of holding both events concurrently, considering that the number of participants in the third regional leaders' retreat would be smaller than in the previous rounds.
"We will assess the number of participants in the third regional leaders retreat and whether it can be held together with the one for regional secretaries. Given the reduced number of participants, combining the two may be possible," Bima said on Thursday, as quoted by Antara.
He added that the timing of the retreat would depend on the completion of legal proceedings related to the 2024 regional elections, including any court-ordered revotes in certain regions.
The joint retreat, Bima said, could serve as a platform to synchronize efforts between political and bureaucratic leadership at the local level.
"Secretaries must be aligned with regional heads and have a broader understanding of regulations and technical matters. While regional heads are political figures, secretaries are career officials responsible for translating policy into effective implementation," he added.
The event may once again be held at the Institute of Public Administration (IPDN) in Sumedang, West Java, which was the venue of the second regional leaders' retreat, though further technical assessments are underway to ensure capacity and logistical readiness, especially if attendance increases.
"The exact date has not been set, but the President has requested that the process be accelerated to support faster program delivery". (yrc)