The 9th IRSA International Conference

200830-31 July 2008, Palembang – South Sumatra
The 9th IRSA International Conference
“The Current and Future Issues of Regional Development, Energy and Climate Change”
Chair: Bernadette Robiani
Host: IRSA, UNSRI (Sriwijaya University) and BAPPENAS

Background

Since 2001 Indonesia adopted various regional autonomy policies providing opportunities for regional governments to collect more local own revenues and to receive higher transfer from the central government, in one side, and have to take more burdens in providing local public services and designing their own development plans, in the other. The implementation of these autonomy policies so far has been not without challenges.

Among the so many challenges created by this implementation of the autonomy policies, three issues have been the focus of this conference. The first issue is on financing regional development. Many regions claim that the current formula of equalization fund (Dana Alokasi Umum or DAU) is not correct, while rooms for creating local own revenues are limited. Due to this situation, these regional governments argue that they are not able to provide good qualities of public services and to accelerate developments in their areas. Some efforts to increase local own revenues turn out creating heavy economic distortions and contradict the efforts to opening up the regions for investments and more trades.

The second issue is on energy security. Regional developments are now more vulnerable to external shocks such as the high price of oil, terrorism activities, environmental destructions and even political stabilities of other neighboring countries. The high world price of oil has created an alarming issue of regional energy security. In particular, some regions worry that they will not able to afford the energy needed for their developments.

Third issue is related to climate change.  Around the world, pressures to commit on reducing the amount of CO2 have been getting stronger. Regional governments soon have also to response to these pressures.  Regional governments should be able to create policies inducing high economic growth and at the same time controlling CO2 emission released from their regions.

To be able to respond to the three issues mentioned above, it is important that regional governments need inputs from various experts on regional development as well as inputs from other regional governments. This conference is expected to be a media for researchers, academicians and practitioners to discuss the ways to respond and overcome some issues of regional development in Indonesia, particularly on the issues of better regional development financing, energy consumption and production and climate change. It is expected that the conference will provide policy makers a venue to assess new ideas available through out the world, as well as to listen on comments and appraisal toward these ideas from fellow policy makers, NGOs, academicians as well as the private sectors.

In conducting this conference, the Indonesian Regional Science Association (IRSA) collaborates with Graduate Program of Economics and Faculty of Economics at the University of Sriwijaya.

Objective

This conference is a media for scientists, practitioners, and policy makers to discuss theoretical and empirical findings on the issues of regional development, energy and climate change. It is also hoped that through this conference participants will build strong networks for future research, policy discussion, and practical collaboration.

Expected Participants

  • Members of Indonesia Regional Science Association (IRSA)
  • Members of Regional Science Association International (RSAI)
  • Academicians
  • Central and Regional Governments Officials in Indonesia
  • Non-Government Organizations
  • Private Sectors
  • International Donor Communities (Usaid, AusAID, GTZ, JICA, Others)
  • Interested parties from other regional science and economic societies

Conference Venue

The 9th IRSA conference held in Graduate Program of  University Sriwijaya (UNSRI) area and use the Hall for plenary session and different rooms for parallel session.
Graduate Program of University Sriwijaya
Jalan Raya Palembang Prabumulih Km. 32
Palembang – Indonesia

Committee

This Conference is jointly organized by:

  • Indonesian Regional Science Association (IRSA)
  • Graduate Economics Program, University of Sriwijaya
  • Faculty of Economics, University of Sriwijaya

Advisory Committee

  • Bambang Bintoro Soedjito (Advisory board of IRSA/ITB)
  • Raksaka Mahi (Advisory board of IRSA/FEUI)
  • Bambang Brodjonegoro (President of IRSA/ The Dean of FEUI)
  • Armida Alisjahbana (Vice President of IRSA/ 1st Dean of  FE Padjadjaran University)
  • Budy Resosudarmo (ANU)
  • Lucky Eko Wuryanto (BKPM)
  • Suahasil Nazara (FEUI)

Organizing Committee

  • Bernadette Robiani (UNSRI)
  • Suahasil Nazara (FEUI)
  • Candra Fajri Ananda (FE UB)
  • Mudrajad Kuncoro (UGM)
  • Ibnu Syabri (ITB)

Coordinator in Charge:

  • Didik Susetyo (UNSRI)
  • Aslamia Rosa (UNSRI)