“Our ability to plan cities is essential, including the frameworks, regional regulations, and other supporting rules. We must start to consider the unique characteristics of each city,” he said in a statement in Jakarta on Sunday.
He made these remarks during the 2025 Outlook of the Association of Indonesian City Governments (APEKSI) held in Bandar Lampung, Lampung, on Saturday. According to him, regional governments must establish a solid planning foundation to ensure the community's well-being over the next 30 to 40 years.
He emphasized that planning should not be limited to a single leadership term, especially as various urban issues remain major challenges for the public.
Tohir affirmed that the Ministry of Home Affairs continues to seek the best strategies for managing waste in urban areas. Various research efforts, together with stakeholders, have been intensified to develop waste management solutions that benefit the public, including through waste-to-energy initiatives.
On that occasion, he also underscored that high population growth in urban areas is often overlooked by leaders, resulting in policies that lack the capacity to address these conditions.
To this end, he urged regional governments to formulate policies that are more anticipatory and well planned.
He outlined several opportunities to drive urban advancement, including boosting local economic growth by leveraging central government initiatives such as the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program, which is considered capable of stimulating local economies by meeting food supply needs.
In addition, the tuition-free Sekolah Rakyat (People’s School) program and the Free Health Screening (CKG) program are expected to improve the quality of human resources in the regions.
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Translator: Fianda Sjofjan, Raka Adji
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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