The Dynamics of Asymmetric Decentralization in Indonesia: Autonomy or Dependence?

Authors

  • Anwar Rosshad Institut Pemerintahan Dalam Negeri, Sumedang, Indonesia
  • Ardika Nurfurkon Institut Pemerintahan Dalam Negeri, Sumedang, Indonesia
  • Jojo Juhaeni Institut Pemerintahan Dalam Negeri, Sumedang, Indonesia
  • Alwi Al Hadad Digitech University, Bandung, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.38035/jlph.v6i6.3730

Keywords:

Asymmetric Decentralization, Central-Local Relations, Fiscal Independence, Special Autonomy, State Finance Law

Abstract

The implementation of asymmetric decentralization in Indonesia presents a juridical-fiscal paradox, wherein the constitutional guarantee of broad autonomy frequently clashes with the high ratio of regional dependence on the central budget. This study aims to comparatively analyze the legal antinomy and governance of asymmetric decentralization in DKI Jakarta, the Special Region of Yogyakarta (DIY), Aceh, and Papua. Employing a socio-legal research method with statute and comparative approaches, this study examines the consistency of norms between the Law on Financial Relations between the Central Government and Local Governments (UU HKPD) and sectoral lex specialis regimes. The results indicate that broad legal autonomy does not correlate directly with fiscal sovereignty. DKI Jakarta has successfully converted its regulatory privileges into Local Own-Source Revenue (PAD) independence. Conversely, the block-grant legal design of special autonomy funds in Aceh and Papua triggers fiscal laziness due to the absence of performance-based normative obligations to optimize local potential, while DIY's fiscal capacity is constrained by rigid legal restrictions regarding the allocation of its Special Funds. This study recommends legal engineering through the harmonization of the UU HKPD with sectoral laws, as well as the transformation of funding transfer formulations into conditional performance-based grants, ensuring that asymmetric status serves as an instrument of equitable independence rather than perpetuating structural dependence.

References

Amin, R. I., & Isharyanto. (2022). ASYMMETRICAL SEQUENTIAL DECENTRALIZATION : RESETTING THE PARADIGM OF REGIONAL AUTONOMY. Journal of Governance and Regulation, 11(4), 24–32. https://doi.org/10.22495/jgrv11i4art3

Arief, M. Z. (2025). Tantangan, Implikasi, dan Strategi Ketergantungan Daerah Terhadap Dana Transfer Pusat Terhadap Kapasitas Fiskal Daerah. Jurnal Sosial Dan Sains (SOSAINS), 5(9). https://doi.org/10.59188/jurnalsosains.v5i9.32507

Ariestiningtyas, D. R., Ananda, C. F., & Sumantri, V. D. S. (2025). Assessing The Effects of Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfers on Public Service Delivery in Education and Health: A Case Study of Indonesia. International Journal of Social Science and Business, 8(4), 656–671. https://doi.org/10.23887/ijssb.v8i4.86332

Bakar, A., & Sanusi, A. (2024). Can Special Autonomy and Fiscal Decentralization Reduce Inequality in Papua Province? KnE Social Sciences, 9(29), 531–545. https://doi.org/10.18502/kss.v9i29.17280

Bunga’Allo, H., Ilmar, A., Ilmar, A., & Razak, A. (2025). Asymmetric decentralisation arrangements in the implementation of regional autonomy in Indonesia. Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology, 9(4), 1975–1984. https://doi.org/10.55214/25768484.v9i4.6442

Cahyaningsih, A., & Fitrady, A. (2019). The impact of asymmetric fiscal decentralization on education and health outcomes: evidence from Papua Province, Indonesia. Economics & Sociology, 12(2), 48–63. https://doi.org/10.14254/2071- 789X.2019/12-2/3

Cronin, P., Ryan, F., & Coughlan, M. (2008). Undertaking a literature review: a step-by-step approach. British Journal of Nursing, 17(1), 38–43. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjon.2008.17.1.28059

Fitrani, F., Hofman, B., & Kaiser*, K. (2005). Unity in diversity? The creation of new local governments in a decentralising Indonesia. Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies, 41(1), 57–79. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00074910500072690

Fuhr, H. (2012). The seven traps of decentralization policy. BISNIS & BIROKRASI: Jurnal Ilmu Administrasi Dan Organisasi, 18(2), 1. https://doi.org/10.20476/jbb.v18i2.977

Hajad, V., Marefanda, N., & Saputra, A. (2022). The Special Autonomy Funds are not for Poverty Alleviation: A Lesson from Aceh’s Way. Journal of Local Government Issues, 5(2), 161–175. https://doi.org/10.22219/logos.v5i2.21658

Hasanah, N., Masdar, R., & Furqan, A. C. (2025). Empirical Evidence on the Role of Local Own-Source Revenue in Strengthening Fiscal Independence of Indonesian Local Governments. Owner: Riset Dan Jurnal Akuntansi, 9(4), 2950–2963. https://doi.org/10.33395/owner.v9i4.2788

Hoesein, Z. A., Arifudin, A., & Rahayu, S. D. (2022). The effectiveness of decentralization policy in local government administration. Jurnal Akta, 9(2), 242. https://dx.doi.org/10.30659/akta.v9i2.23544

Huda, Ni'matul. (2014). Desentralisasi Asimetris dalam NKRI: Kajian terhadap Daerah Istimewa, Daerah Khusus, dan Otonomi Khusus. Bandung: Nusa Media

Lele, G. (2019). Asymmetric decentralization and the problem of governance: the case of Indonesia. Asian Politics & Policy, 11(4), 544–565. https://doi.org/10.1111/aspp.12493

Lewis, B. D. (2015). Decentralising to villages in Indonesia: Money (and other) mistakes. Public Administration and Development, 35(5), 347–359. https://doi.org/10.1002/pad.1741

Lewis, B. D. (2023). Indonesia’s new fiscal decentralisation law: A critical assessment. Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies, 59(1), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1080/00074918.2023.2180838

Liang, J. (2019). Qualitative research methods: collecting evidence, crafting analysis, communicating impact by SJ Tracy, West Sussex, UK, John Wiley & Sons, 2019, Ltd. 368 pp., $115.50 (paperback), ISBN: 978-1-4051-9202-3. Taylor & Francis.

Mandela, R. (2024). Membaca Desentralisasi Asimetris dalam Kerangka Negara Kesatuan Republik Indonesia. JIMU: Jurnal Ilmiah Multidisipliner, 2(03), 1393–1404. https://doi.org/10.70294/jimu.v2i03.1348

Nasution, I. K. (2016). The challenge of decentralization in Indonesia: symmetrical and asymmetrical debate. International Journal of Social Science and Humanity, 6(9), 691. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.18178/ijssh.2016.6.9.734

Pabayo, A. S. T. (2025). Impact of fiscal decentralization policy on regional fiscal independence in Indonesia. Journal of Local Government Issues, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.22219/logos.v8i1.37646

Prehantoro, P. (2020). Special region of Yogyakarta in the perspective of asymmetric de-centralization reviewed from the law number 13 year 2012. International Journal of Multicultural and Multireligious Understanding, 7(8), 451–458. ttp://dx.doi.org/10.18415/ijmmu.v7i8.1946

Salmon, I. P. P., Irawan, A. B., Lestari, A. W., Nurany, F., & Rahmat, I. (2022). Buruknya Layanan dalam Kerangka Otonomi Khusus: Apakah Papua Masih Memiliki Kesempatan untuk Berkembang? Jurnal Ilmu Sosial Dan Humaniora, 11(3), 367–380. https://doi.org/10.23887/jish.v11i3.40754

Sejati, A. A., & Kartono, D. T. (2024). The urgency of recognition the rights of indigenous peoples in asymmetric decentralization in Papua and Papua Barat. TRANSFORMASI: Jurnal Manajemen Pemerintahan, 16(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.33701/jtp.v16i1.3449

Siddiquee, N. A., Nastiti, D., & Sejati, N. A. (2012). Regional autonomy and local resource mobilization in eastern indonesia: Problems and pitfalls of fiscal decentralization. Asian Affairs: An American Review, 39(1), 44–68. https://www.jstor.org/stable/23526586

Sofilda, E., Zilal Hamzah, M., & Kusairi, S. (2023). Analysis of fiscal decentralisation, human development, and regional economic growth in indonesia. Cogent Economics & Finance, 11(1), 2220520. https://doi.org/10.1080/23322039.2023.2220520

Sulaiman, K. F., Satriawan, I., Musa, N., & Fathi, M. (2025). A comparison of decentralization policy in Indonesia and Malaysia. PETITA, 10, 297. https://doi.org/10.22373/petita.v10i1.677

Talitha, T., Firman, T., & Hudalah, D. (2020). Welcoming two decades of decentralization in Indonesia: a regional development perspective. Territory, Politics, Governance, 8(5), 690–708. https://doi.org/10.1080/21622671.2019.1601595

Utama, B. S. (2019). Asymmetric decentralization in Aceh: Institutionalization of conflict of interest by elites of GAM. Jurnal Politik, 5(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.7454/jp.v5i1.1018%0A%0A

Wibawa, K. C. S. (2019). Penegasan politik hukum desentralisasi asimetris dalam rangka menata hubungan pemerintah pusat dengan pemerintah daerah di Indonesia. Administrative Law and Governance Journal, 2(3), 400–412. https://doi.org/10.14710/alj.v2i3.400-412

Downloads

Published

2026-09-10

How to Cite

Rosshad, A., Nurfurkon, A., Juhaeni, J., & Al Hadad, A. (2026). The Dynamics of Asymmetric Decentralization in Indonesia: Autonomy or Dependence?. Journal of Law, Politic and Humanities, 6(6), 4685–4703. https://doi.org/10.38035/jlph.v6i6.3730

Issue

Vol. 6 No. 6 (2026): (JLPH) Journal of Law, Politic and Humanities

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Anwar Rosshad, Ardika Nurfurkon, Jojo Juhaeni, Alwi Al Hadad

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Authors who publish their manuscripts in this journal agree to the following conditions:

  1. The copyright on each article belongs to the author(s).
  2. The author acknowledges that the Journal of Law, Poliitic and Humanities (JLPH) has the right to be the first to publish with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license (Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).
  3. Authors can submit articles separately, arrange for the non-exclusive distribution of manuscripts that have been published in this journal into other versions (e.g., sent to the author's institutional repository, publication into books, etc.), by acknowledging that the manuscript has been published for the first time in the Journal of Law, Poliitic and Humanities (JLPH).