Pengamat: Wacana PPHN Jangan Sampai Kembalikan Indonesia ke Sistem Sentralistik

**Political Analyst Warns Against Centralized Governance in PPHN Proposal**

**JAKARTA** – Political communication analyst from Esa Unggul University, M. Jamiluddin Ritonga, has cautioned that the proposed revival of the State Policy Guidelines (PPHN) must be carefully designed to avoid undermining Indonesia’s post-reform democratic principles, presidential system, and regional autonomy.

Speaking on Wednesday (Sept 2), Jamiluddin expressed concern that the PPHN could potentially revert Indonesia to a highly centralized development model reminiscent of the New Order era. He emphasized that any implementation of such guidelines must align with decentralization principles and a “bottom-up” approach to development.

“If the PPHN is to be implemented, it should not conflict with the principles of decentralization and bottom-up development,” Jamiluddin stated.

He noted that Indonesia moved away from the former State Policy Guidelines (GBHN) following the reform era because the concept was deemed incompatible with a democratic presidential system. Currently, national development is guided by the National Development Planning System (SPPN), which includes the Long-Term Development Plan (RPJP) and the Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJM).

“The RPJP and RPJM translate the vision and mission of the elected president, who has received a mandate from the people through elections, not a mandate from the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR),” he explained.

While acknowledging that proponents of the PPHN seek to ensure development continuity across different administrations, Jamiluddin argued that a single state document is not a prerequisite for a functioning democracy. He pointed to other democratic nations that maintain development continuity through constitutions, legislation, and sectoral policies rather than centralized planning documents.

Jamiluddin warned that centralized planning models are more common in countries with authoritarian or highly centralized systems, such as China’s “Five-Year Plan.” He expressed concern that the PPHN could serve as a vehicle for re-centralizing authority, particularly as some regional powers—such as those in mining, spatial planning, forestry, and marine management—have already been shifted back to the central government.

“If the PPHN cannot accommodate these realities, it could erode the democracy that has been fought for and maintained since the reform era,” he said.

Jamiluddin urged the MPR to ensure that any PPHN framework does not diminish regional authority or restrict public participation in determining the nation’s development trajectory.

“The MPR must convince the public that the PPHN will not return Indonesia to a centralized system and will not damage the democracy built since the 1998 reform,” he concluded.

Article and image source: mediaindonesia.com