The West Manggarai Regency Government, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), is committed to strengthening local fiscal independence by setting a Local Generated Revenue (PAD) target of IDR 352.66 billion for the 2027 fiscal year. This strategic policy was officially agreed upon in the General Budget Policy and Temporary Budget Priority Ceiling (KUA-PPAS) with a focus on optimizing the entertainment tax sector and improving the quality of healthcare services.
The increase in the PAD target from the initial projection of IDR 351.35 billion also boosts the estimated total regional revenue of West Manggarai in 2027 to IDR 1.289 trillion. This adjustment of fiscal figures is the result of agreements from intensive discussions conducted by the Regional Government Budget Team (TAPD) together with the Budget Committee (Banggar) of the West Manggarai Regency Regional House of Representatives (DPRD).
Chairman of the West Manggarai DPRD Budget Committee, Martinus Mitar, explained that tax tightening and optimization will be focused on various entertainment business lines. Targeted sectors include discotheques, karaoke, nightclubs, billiard arenas, bowling, skill-based game rides, to massage and reflexology services. This tactical move is believed to be able to significantly boost local revenue in the future.
Not only relying on the entertainment sector, the local legislature and executive also mapped out other retribution potentials deemed underutilized. Some of these include waste management retributions, optimization of regional general hospital (RSUD) facilities, fisheries sector management, fecal sludge suction services, and improving revenue efficiency in the transportation, trade, and industrial sectors.
The Regent of West Manggarai, Edistasius Endi, emphasized the local government's readiness to execute this target transparently through the digitalization of transaction records and updating taxpayer databases. Edistasius also corrected the misconception of several business owners who think that the entertainment tax cuts into corporate net profits. He emphasized that the entertainment tax is actually a transaction obligation borne directly by consumers.
Meanwhile, improvements in the health sector will be accelerated by strengthening the Regional Health Laboratory Technical Implementation Unit (UPTD Labkesda) to bring its standards on par with national-scale commercial laboratories. All regional expenditure allocation policies in 2027 will eventually prioritize meeting Minimum Service Standards (SPM) and equitable development for the benefit of the community.
