Pontianak Mayor Edi Rusdi Kamtono has called on all municipal government agencies to ensure that the preparation of their 2027 Work Plans and Budgets (RKA-SKPD) focuses on priority programs that deliver tangible benefits to the public.
According to Edi, the RKA preparation and review process should not be treated merely as an administrative requirement. Instead, it should provide an opportunity to evaluate and ensure that every proposed program can drive meaningful change, accelerate progress, and address Pontianak’s development needs.
Edi said the principles guiding the 2027 budget would remain largely consistent with the previous year. With regional transfers remaining limited, the Pontianak City Government will continue to prioritize budget efficiency to ensure that available fiscal resources are used as effectively as possible.
“We will continue to prioritize budget efficiency so that our limited resources can be optimized for Pontianak’s development,” he said while opening the 2027 RKA-SKPD Budget Preparation Assistance Meeting at the Orchardz Perdana Hotel in Pontianak on Tuesday (August 18, 2026).
He urged municipal agencies to carefully review recurring programs that have yet to generate significant impact. Such programs, he said, should be reassessed so that funding can be redirected toward more effective and productive initiatives that provide greater benefits to the community.
“This RKA preparation process must be able to bring about change and progress based on what we have accomplished in previous years,” Edi said.
In setting budget priorities, Edi emphasized that spending should focus on the public’s basic needs. Key areas include urban infrastructure development, stronger flood-control systems, improved healthcare and education services, and the empowerment of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
He added that government programs must also contribute directly to achieving the city’s key development indicators.
“In 2027, we must focus on achieving targets such as reducing poverty and the open unemployment rate, improving the Human Development Index, and narrowing the Gini ratio,” he explained.
According to Edi, achieving these targets requires programs that go beyond administrative completion and deliver measurable benefits as well as multiplier effects for the city’s development. Municipal agencies must therefore ensure that every budget allocation produces clear outputs and meaningful outcomes for the public.
The Pontianak City Government will also continue its efforts to create a more people-centered and environmentally sustainable city. Several multi-year programs will remain priorities, including the continuation of waterfront development and the improvement of urban slum areas.
Disaster mitigation will also be an important component of the city’s 2027 planning. As Pontianak faces recurring challenges during both the rainy and dry seasons, flood-control programs, land-fire prevention and response measures, and other anticipatory actions must be carefully planned from the outset.
“Disaster mitigation for 2027 must be thoroughly planned,” Edi emphasized.
Beyond selecting the right programs, Edi also highlighted the importance of timely implementation. He expects the RKA preparation process to be completed on schedule so that priority programs, particularly capital expenditure projects, can begin earlier in the fiscal year.
He referred to previous years when some capital expenditure projects did not begin until mid-year, resulting in uneven budget realization and spending throughout the year.
Edi therefore instructed municipal agencies to prepare their implementation plans immediately after the assistance process is completed. Earlier preparation is expected to enable development programs to proceed on schedule, improve the distribution of budget spending throughout the year, and allow the public to experience the benefits of development sooner.
“I hope that once this assistance process is completed, the implementation plans can be prepared immediately so that the programs can be carried out on time,” he concluded.
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