The Impact of Regional Financial Capability during the COVID-19 Pandemic towards Regional Fiscal Capacity

Abstract

Regional fiscal capacity is the region’s ability reflected in regional revenue, consisting of own-source revenue (PAD), fiscal balance transfers, and other legitimate regional revenues. This study aims at analysing the impact of regional financial capability during the Covid-19 Pandemic towards regional fiscal capacity. The research was conducted in local governments in Indonesia during 2020 using descriptive qualitative analysis. The results showed that generally the Covid-19 Pandemic affected the reduction on own-source revenue (PAD) in almost all provinces in Indonesia during the first semester of 2020. From 66 regencies/cities as the sample from this research, 49 regencies decreased in revenue and expenditure because of the Covid-19 Pandemic. The revenue reduction in each region was caused by regional taxes reduction of around 2,5 percent and 10,68 percent sequentially in the first semester of 2020, fiscal balance transfers around 8,42 percent, and general allocation grant (DAU) around 9,8 percent and 6,94 percent. Meanwhile, to solve the regional fiscal problems, the local governments implemented 2 types of policies: (1) the first policy is to implement a counter-cyclical policy through maintaining economic stability, decreasing revenues, and increasing local government expenditures; (2) the second policy is to implement a pro-cyclical policy through increasing revenues and decreasing expenditures. The present research also found that regencies/cities that implemented a counter-cyclical policy generally increased in expenditure components, such as grant expenditure around 316,51 percent and regional capital expenditure. Some local governments built infrastructure (assets and buildings) during the Covid-19 Pandemic. However, local governments decreased around -1% - 16% for the employee expenditures.